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DAVID SHELTON MINISTRIES KEEPS FAITH IN THE THEATER.
By JOSHUA ADAM HICKS
Staff Writer
David Shelton’s legacy will live on, even if he won’t be able to remember it one day. The 54-year-old Bothell resident was in the midst of a long career doing performing theatrical ministry work when he experienced head trauma during a 2001 snowmobile accident. Dementia slowly set in. Shelton could no longer remember his lines midway through 2003. He had dedicated his life to preaching the Gospel through narrative performance, but what seemed like a lifelong calling was coming to a halt. The future of his legacy would lie with the children he aimed to inspire through a newly transformed ministry. Realizing the mission
Shelton had been involved in drama since his early teens, so it was natural that he would move to New York City after graduating from Oklahoma State Universitywith a theater degree in 1976.The scene didn’t work for him. Shelton ended up miming in Central Park to earn money for a return trip home. He then started to grow weary of the performing-arts world. “I hated some of the pieces I was doing,” he said. “They lacked something.”
He found the missing element after re-connecting with childhood friend Steve Thomas, who inspired him to get baptized after returning from New York. Thomas, a youth pastor, requested that Shelton mime for his kids during a program. He later asked him to sing at a Sundays ervice. Shelton followed up with a third performance, this time acting out a first-person characterization of the Apostle Peter. That rendering would became the flagship of his ministry. Theater and church have a long history, but few people, if any, were providing dramatized sermons back then. Shelton’s method was capitalizing on the post-modern attraction to storytelling as a means of teaching. “People want to hear stories rather than propositions, or a list of dos and don’ts,” said Texas based pastor Aaron Ott, who works as an associate artist for David Shelton Ministries. One group after another hired Shelton for his services until he was performing nationwide at a variety of venue types. “Our motto became, ‘From prison to pew and everywhere in between,’” said David’s wife, Debra.
When the show can’t go on
David had around 25 scripts in his repertoire at the time of his accident. They ranged from characterizations of the Prophet Jonah, to straight scripture readings from the Book of James. He can no longer recall those acts well enough to perform them. “The question became: ‘What do you do if you can’t be on stage?’” Debra said. The Sheltons found their answer in the form of mentoring younger generations who can carry on the work of their ministry. “The message is still there,” David said. “We’re not done. “The way it comes out is that the kids let you know.” The Sheltons took their cue from a pair of composers — Beethoven, who produced his most notable works after going deaf, and George Frideric Handel, who created “Messiah” after developing palsy in his hands.
Debra also claims to have drawn inspiration from the wife of Christian writer Oswald Chambers, who helped established fame for her husband by getting his books published after the author’s unexpected death at the age of 43. The Sheltons have established a youth performance team that now meets every Thursday in Bothell. They also started a summer drama camp that drew 32 students from three states this year. “If we had quit back in 2003, none of those kids would have been affected,” Debra said. David Shelton Ministries board member Bob Horn sent his son to the drama camp this year. “I wanted him to gain more drama skills, but I wanted him to have the ministry attitude that David Shelton encapsulates,” he said. “It’s kind of a ripple effect: seeing those talents, abilities and the ministry mentality passed on to the younger generations.” The Sheltons credit Tonya
Nichols with being a key player in carrying out the ministry’s new programs. Nichols, 36, met David at one of his performances when she was a 16-year-old aspiring thespian. She now serves as a guest director for the summer camps and works as an artist associate for his ministry. Nichols and fellow associate Ott continue to perform David’s allegorical skits across the country. “We’ve kind of gone from being in the spotlight to being behindthe scenes and putting other people out there,” Debra said. “It’s like moving from being an athlete to being a coach.” On the Web: Visit David Shelton Ministries at www.davidshelton.org to find additional information about the summer drama camp, youth performance team, and obtaining copies of Shelton’s past performances. |
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