‘Churched’ explores religion, with comedy

“Churched,” created by filmmaker Crystal Barnes, centers on Pastor Axel Stevens, who has become a lead pastor for the first time since he became a minister. Photo courtesy of Crystal Barnes/Ark Productions
“Churched,” created by filmmaker Crystal Barnes, centers on Pastor Axel Stevens, who has become a lead pastor for the first time since he became a minister. Photo courtesy of Crystal Barnes/Ark Productions

‘Churched’ explores religion, with comedy

BY TIA CAROL JONES

Crystal Barnes is a filmmaker who creates faith-based content with an edge, comedy, with a more critical lens. She always wanted to make a faith-based comedy. After seeing ‘The Office,” she was inspired to use that single camera, documentary-style model.

What she came up with is “Churched,” a faith-based comedy that centers on the lives of the pastor of Walk This Way Church and on the people who attend his church. It is part of Barnes’ Ark Productions.

In the first episode, Pastor Axel Stevens is working on his introduction to the church and dealing with his role as lead pastor for the first time.

Barnes said she started writing, with Melissa Ostander, using input from a friend who is a minister. She said it took about six to eight months to write the 10 episodes, which are being aired for free on Facebook and YouTube. The episodes, which were self-funded, range from three to six minutes.

Barnes added that the goal is to produce a second season with longer episodes, about 22 minutes, the average length of a comedy series that would happen on television or on an episodic platform.

Barnes worked at a church office for about a year and a half. She said the people aren’t based on anyone they know, they just took archetypes of people and combined people.

“I just wanted to put normal people in here that showed our flaws,” she said.

“We were trying to figure out who is needed in a church office,” Ostander said. “If you’re going to have a really small start-up church, what kind of people do you have to have on board.”

There is the lead pastor, a white man who is married to a Black woman. Then, there is the family pastor who has 12 kids who are named for the twelve apostles, and who wants to be an actor more than a pastor. Then, there is Gladys, an older woman who has a mysterious, murky past, and the worship team leader, who really plays more rock and jazz and blues music.

Ostander said she and Barnes have been in church collectively for 50 years or more. She said in that time, they’ve witnessed a lot.

Ostander said she hopes people enjoy the show. “First and foremost, I hope they are entertained, and they laugh. I feel like our ministry is really about preaching to people who are not Christian. People who may not have or want a relationship with God, but to show Christians are flawed people, we’re very goofy, sometimes we front and we think that we’re perfect, but the reality is, we’re not,” she said.

Ostander said she hopes people will see a different viewpoint because the lead writer, Barnes, is an African-American woman.

Barnes said it is her hope that the characters in the show are relatable. She said she hopes audiences find the show entertaining and will want to watch future episodes. She said they are looking for financial partners so they can create longer episodes and get them on more profitable platforms.

Barnes said it is still a challenge for women and minorities to be directors and filmmakers.

“I know how challenging it is to get something like this done, but it can get done,” she said. “It’s still a challenge day-to-day, we’re still trying to do it.”

For more information on “Churched” and Ark Productions, visit https://arkproductionschicago.com/home/churched/

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