Ken Anderson went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 12, 2006.

Anderson was serving as editor of Youth For Christ's magazine in the late 1940s when Bob Pierce,the future founder of World Vision, invited him on a mission trip to China. During the trip Anderson and Pierce produced the documentary China Challenge.

Soon Anderson joined Baptista Films, a pioneer in the field of Christian film production, where he wrote and directed his first dramatic films.

In 1949 Anderson moved to Muskegon, Michigan, to establish Gospel Films. His writing skills resulted in at least one new film each year through 1960. Ken and his wife Doris had shared a vision for missions since their early years of marriage. Gospel Films' first overseas dramatic production, filmed in Singapore, was Something to Die For. Then, with a desire to produce films beyond North America, they moved to Warsaw, Indiana, in December, 1960, to establish Ken Anderson Films.

Ken Anderson Films produced over 200 Christian films including original dramas in many foreign countries. Anderson may be best remembered for Pilgrim's Progress, produced in 1977. Featured in this story is Liam Neeson in his first screen role, playing the character, Evangelist. Over 1400 copies went out as 16mm film prints. Other significant films released by Ken Anderson Films include Christiana, Fanny Crosby, Hudson Taylor, and In His Steps.

After retiring from the Christian film industry, Anderson published the book Where to Find It in the Bible in 1996. More than four million copies have been published. In 1991 Ken Anderson Films was replaced by InterComm, a nonprofit organization involved in producing additional language versions of many of the Ken Anderson Films international productions. In 2005 Intercomm reported 262,606 decisions for Jesus Christ from 1,142,986 people viewing movies from Ken Anderson Films.

For more information about Ken Anderson:

• Max Elliot Anderson has written a biography about his father's life

• Greater Syracuse Christian Film Festival May 4 - 11
• Damah Film Festival - May 18-20 in Culver City, California
• International Christian Visual Media's Catalyst Conference July 11 - 15
• Christian WYSIWYG Film Festival - October 17-21 in San Francisco
• San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival - October 19-21 in San Antonio Texas
• Sabaoth International Film Festival - November 16-18 in Milan, Italy

• 1,000 Prayer Vigils Against The Da Vinci Code - Christian Wire Service
• Hollywood puts its faith in holy films London Sunday Times
• Christians embrace the power of movies: Film festival is touted as a perfect way to marry pop culture with Christianity Syracuse Post-Standard
• Christian Civic League calls for boycott of movie theaters WLBZ

• Former Christian Hostage Says Captors Showed Film about Jesus AP
• Movie depicting Jesus as black aims to unite blacks and Jews Black News
• Grooming Hollywood's New Talent: Booted from a convent for thinking outside the box, Barbara Nicolosi moved to Hollywood and founded a successful program to mentor Christian screenwriters—some of whom have earned their big break Christianity Today
• Christian Iwo Jima Film Released for Memorial Day Screenings - Christian Wire Service
• TBN to Host Memorial Day Premiere of New WWII Film, The League of Grateful Sons - Christian Wire Service
• "JESUS" Film is encouraging evangelism during Easter Mission Network News
• Why I Won't See Brokeback Mountain Tim Wilkins

Sorry for the lack of recent news updates. Several news stories will be posted soon.

Earlier this year I tried experimenting with some new software and accidentally destroyed the database on my server that stored the Christian Film News.

Older entries will be posted as time permits.