Cover Story

Sadie Robertson Huff grew up in the public spotlight, living her teenage years in front of the camera as part of the iconic Duck Dynasty family. Now, she’s back with her own family on the revival of the hit television show– but this time around she’s part of the generation that’s all grown up and experiencing life with her own husband and children. Duck Dynasty: The Revival premieres on June 1, 2025 on the A&E Network and centers on Willie and Korie Robertson as they navigate life with a growing family of adult children and grandchildren while carrying on the family business and legacy in Louisiana. Huff is joined by her siblings John Luke, Will, Bella, and Rebecca, and their spouses and children. “It was a blessing to be on that show with my whole family,” she said, “and we’re excited to do it again.”

Growing Up a Reality Star. The original Duck Dynasty show ran for 11 seasons and attracted as many as 11.8 million viewers at its peak, becoming the most-watched “non-fiction” series in cable history. It told the story of the Robertson family’s Duck Commander business (a hunting and outdoor recreation company that first sold its signature duck calls and then expanded into a plethora of other products) and the antics– many humorous– that came from the family dynamics. It also stressed the importance of faith in the Robertsons’ lives. Huff was an original star of the show, featured first as the teenage granddaughter of Duck Commander founder Phil Robertson and his wife Kay. She became a household name from the show and built a well-known brand of her own as a young Christian voice. Looking back, she remembers her Duck Dynasty experience as a positive one built on family support. “I started out in the spotlight at 14 or 15, and it was sometimes a challenge to navigate. I imagine it was a bit like being the kid of a pastor,” she said. “I was trying to carry the legacy of my family well but was doing it in the midst of the struggles of life and high school.” The close-knit bond she had with her grandparents, parents, and other family members made the experience a positive one. “A lot of times when people get famous at a young age, they feel so lonely, but we did it with our whole family,” she said. “I had my entire family in on it with me, and that made it a real blessing.” Huff said she can look back now and see “so much grace” from the experience. That, in turn, gave her the right perspective as she journeyed into the next stages of her life– including the revival of the hit show. 

After the original Duck Dynasty went off the air, Huff found other ways to share her life and faith with others. She became a sought-after speaker at women’s and Christian events and started her WHOA That’s Good podcast. “My podcast is the most significant thing we do. We’ve done it for seven years now, and it has grown so much,” she explained. “My favorite thing is to have a positive impact on people’s lives, and I think we do that through the podcast.” WHOA That’s Good is built around the idea of advice. She starts with the question, ‘What’s the best advice you’ve been given?’ and builds episodes around that. She brings in celebrities, authors, athletes, musicians, or even a family friend. “People are always looking for advice and if you’re looking on social media, some is good and some isn’t so good,” she said. “I want people to say, ‘Whoa, that’s good’ about what we’re giving them.” The podcast has certainly struck a chord. It currently has more than 40 million listens and is available on Spotify, other streaming platforms, and Sadie’s website www.liveoriginal.com/podcast. She’s also written books over the years and is currently working on reprints of her bestselling books Live, Live Fearless, and Live on Purpose. All of her projects– podcasts, books, speaking engagements, and counseling opportunities– are connected through her Live Original ministry, which she began as a way to be a “sister and friend to those who don’t have one.” “My hope is that through all of our different platforms, your love for God and people will grow and your knowledge of His love for you will blow you away,” the Live Original mission statement proclaims. “You were originally created by intentional design in the image of God, and I hope your confidence in that will continue to grow so that you can be all He created you to be.” Huff’s podcast and other work will continue during the run of Duck Dynasty: The Revival, but she’s excited that the new seasons will give her and her new family a new opportunity for ministry.

Back on Screen. The original Duck Dynasty show went off the air in 2017 when Huff and other stars decided to pursue other endeavors– but there’s always been an interest in the family, and fans have often wished for the show to return. Duck Dynasty: The Revival, which has already been green-lit for two seasons on A&E, focuses on family members that viewers have already gotten to know, but will expand into new characters, as well. “Dad [Willie] is now in the grandpa role, and most of the family pops in, to some extent. Uncle Si is in it the whole time, which is super fun because he’s really loved by so many,” she said while pointing out that her grandfather and patriarch Phil isn’t on the show because of his Alzheimer’s Disease and other health issues. Newly featured characters include Huff’s husband Christian and their two daughters Honey and Haven. “I’m super excited for Christian because viewers have never seen his personality,” she said. “In fact, there’s lots of new characters and personalities.” She met Christian Huff in 2018 while crab hunting with friends and family on vacation in Florida. They were introduced by their sisters, and attraction quickly evolved into love. They married in 2019 and welcomed Honey into their family in 2021 and Haven in 2023. They’re expecting their third child in the fall. The couple put serious thought into the decision to feature their children on television but said that prayer and Sadie’s own positive experiences helped them decide to bring them all on the new show together. They first shared their family on social media after a friend (who is an actress who also chose to share her family online) commented on how television doesn’t often show what a Christian family accurately looks like. “That’s beautiful and so true,” she said. “My parents made that decision for me, and I was so blessed by it. We had their wisdom and Christian experience there with us through it all, and we can do that too. We see it as an exciting opportunity.” 

According to Huff, the new show will feature many of the things that were so loved by fans in the original Duck Dynasty. Action will still take place in the Duck Commander warehouse, at home, and in surrounding areas around West Monroe, Louisiana. “Episodes will now be an hour long, instead of 30 minutes, which really gives the action and characters more time to breathe,” she explained. “There’s more time to put in real things. While Duck Dynasty is always going to be funny, we also want to hold space for reality, too. This show will be funny, but tears will also be easy to see.” The show, she said, will also again feature faith. Episodes always end in prayer, and the show reflects the family’s priorities with things like church attendance and wholesome activities. Whether it’s seen on television or lived out in their private lives, Huff said that her mother taught her the importance of being consistent. “My Mom always said that it’s so important that you live what you believe,” she said. “The most confusing thing to a kid is when they see you act one way on Sunday and then acting differently on other days.” As Huff and her family move forward, she said that’s the priority. “We do so much together as a family,” she said. “We live next to each other, we all work in the warehouse together, we’re on the show together. It’s a blessing, and we want to be that example of a family that laughs together and is real together. We feel like God has prepared our hearts for this, and this is one of the best times in our lives.”

-Cheryl Wray

Cover Story

From the time he was a boy, Ed Allen dreamed of being a cowboy. Today he lives out that dream while helping others. His Alabama based organization, Ed Allen Roping Productions, hosts regional team roping competitions. The events involve thousands of competitors, family members, and fans of all ages and skill levels. “It’s one of the fastest growing parts of the horse industry, and it creates an opportunity for young people to compete as first-timers, older people to compete, and then everyone in between,” he said.

Allen’s upcoming The Learning Tree Charity Classic in Piedmont, Ala. also creates an opportunity to assist in serving children with developmental disabilities ages 6-21. The Learning Tree Resource Development Coordinator Erica Brown explains, “With the assistance of the ropers and sponsors, The Learning Tree Charity Classic plays a pivotal role in raising funds to provide the children in our residential programs, including the Pelham, Ala. location, with essential daily necessities, including clothing, shoes, linens, hygiene supplies, medications, haircuts, and various other items.”

Cowboy Dreams. Ed Allen hails from Lafayette, Ala., and his parents owned a florist shop. His dreams evolved, however, when he met people who participated in rodeos and worked with cattle. He began competing in amateur rodeos in high school and went to college on a rodeo scholarship. While in college at Southwestern Oklahoma University, he competed in the collegiate national championships. He and his wife, Kandi, met at a rodeo competition in 1990 and they integrated roping into their lives– even as they both pursued degrees in education. Allen retired from Benjamin Russell High School two years ago and now works part-time as a career coach at Central Alabama Community College. His wife (who is originally from Prattville) is a special education teacher in the Alex City school system. The rest of their time is committed to the roping competition community. 

Allen’s family founded Ed Allen Roping and began holding competitions (which are exclusive events, unconnected to rodeos) 25 years ago; today they regularly host competitions in Montgomery, Andalusia, Piedmont, Rainsville, and Franklin, Ga. Allen said that one of the most notable characteristics of roping is that it attracts so many different types of competitors. “It’s an amazing culture, and people come from all walks of life. You’ll find lawyers and businesspeople who compete,” Allen said. “And some of our best ropers have come from the Southeast. On a national level, some of the best come from Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. They’re all a real testament to their commitment.” Parents, grandparents, and other fans and supporters are part of the culture. “It’s a special group,” Allen said. “They are generous and giving, and passionate about roping and the culture.” Allen’s own children have been part of the community since they were young. Son T.J., now 25, and twins Wyatt and Colton, 22, have competed for most of their lives, won championships in college, are part of the horse industry, and still participate today. “We all rope,” he said. “They go somewhere every weekend.” Allen himself loves it as much as he always has. “I’ve always had the passion to be a cowboy, and I’ve always been a competitor. That competitive nature is part of being a cowboy,” Allen said. “I’m 62 now and I’ve slowed down some. But I am still competitive and love it.”

Importance of Faith. Since most roping tournaments take place over the weekend- and take competitors away from their home church and weekly worship- Allen places a priority on making faith part of the event. He holds church services at every roping event held on Sundays, and they regularly see between 50 to 100 worshipers take part. Allen invites different speakers to lead the service, or he does it himself. “If we do an event on Sunday, we’re going to start with a church service,” Allen said. “And we start all of our events with a prayer.” He stresses that there’s always a risk of injuries at roping events and he thinks it’s hypocritical to ask for prayer only when something bad happens. He said that their events start with prayer, and then the channel is open with God in case injuries occur. “We start with Him first, and then we also ask for God’s help when we have accidents,” he said. “We always have Him on standby. He’s there with us through it all.” Allen said that he and Kandi were both raised in Christian homes and saved at a young age. They raised their two sons in the same tradition. He still remembers fondly how after he met his wife at that rodeo 35 years ago, they went to dinner and then met for church the next day. They’ve been married since 1993 and have always made church life and faith a priority. “We always stress the importance of giving your heart to the Lord and being able to help others. It’s a blessing to do that and share our faith,” he said. “We believe in Jesus and want to share with others.”

Allen’s faith is also evident in how his organization participates alongside charitable organizations like The Learning Tree. He and his team see roping competitions as a way to reach out and serve others. “Erica Brown with The Learning Tree asked if we could put on an event to benefit the group,” he said. “Last year, our event in Franklin, Ga. was a great success. We really believe in their work with disabled children and people with autism,” he said. This year’s partnership will take place at the Dugger Mountain Arena in Piedmont, Ala. on May 3-4, 2025. The event is free to attend and ropers will by vying to win the grand prize- a brand new truck. Competition entries and sponsorships at last year’s Classic raised about $100,000 for The Learning Tree and entries this year have already surpassed last year. Allen explains that the roping community has always been generous. “The neat thing about the roping culture is that the members always step up and give to a worthy cause. If there’s someone in need or any situation that needs help, we always step up. It’s a warm feeling to be involved in that kind of culture,” Allen said.

Continuing the Dream. Allen recalls a recent conversation with a businessman in his 60s who fell in love with the roping community at an older age. He’d always had his own dreams of being a cowboy and discovered that he loved riding horses. “He found the roping community and just loves the culture,” Allen said. “It gives him so much pleasure and joy.” According to Allen, it’s that kind of passion that drives him to keep doing what he’s doing. “It’s a special thing to be involved in.” Meet Allen and experience his latest roping competition May 3-4, 2025 in Piedmont. For more details visit www.learning-tree.org/charityclassic.

-Cheryl Wray

Cover Story

The Chosen has become a cultural phenomenon in recent years, with the filmed story of Jesus’ life engaging Christians and non-believers alike- and bringing families together in front of the screen. The fifth season of the hit show- which focuses on the events of Holy Week- debuts in theaters on March 28, 2025. According to creator Dallas Jenkins, the enthusiastic responses to both the streaming and theatrically released episodes have reinforced his goal in creating the project. “We’ve seen that people have been able to share this show with friends or family members who are typically resistant to church or the Bible,” Jenkins said. “And we discovered that it’s broken down cultural barriers, age barriers, and ethnic barriers. When I have a parent come up to me and say my eight-year-old watches the show or our teenager watches it with me, that really blew away any expectations we had for it.”

The Inspiration. Jenkins said that his primary goal in creating The Chosen has been to honor God and the character of Jesus as seen in the Gospels and to do it in a high-quality way. As a child, Jenkins (whose father is Jerry Jenkins, the bestselling author of the Left Behind series) often imagined what life would have been like by Jesus’ side. He asked questions like: What would it have been like sitting around the campfire with Jesus? Did Jesus burp as a kid? What kind of friend was he? As he got older, those questions became more complex. “Jesus drew thousands of people to Him, including children,” he mused. “He must have been very charismatic and compelling, much more so than the dry Jesus we often get. You see Him in a stained-glass window, or you watch Him in a movie, and He still feels like a stained-glass window.” Jenkins felt drawn to storytelling at a young age and was encouraged by his father to use his gift. And when his father introduced him to classic movies like The Godfather and Bonnie and Clyde, he began to fall in love with filmmaking. “When he showed me One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, that was the one that made me want to make movies,” he said.

Jenkins began to envision a project about the life of Christ years before The Chosen first appeared on screen in 2017. He explains that back in 2015 he met and cast Jonathan Roumie as Jesus in a short film for the Jenkins’ church in Illinois. “I thought to myself, this is the best portrayal of Jesus I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Even in this small production, you could see it. We did vignettes and short films together over the next few years, even though we didn’t know what it was leading to.” Roumie, whose father was born in Egypt and is of Syro-Lebanese descent and whose mother is from Ireland, worked as a voice actor and guest star on television before meeting Jenkins in 2014. In addition to starring as Jesus in The Chosen, he played charismatic evangelist Lonnie Frisbee in the 2023 movie Jesus Revolution. He’s a devout Catholic who narrates the prayer app “Hallow” and often hosts live prayers on social media. According to Jenkins, finding Roumie was key to the portrayal of Jesus he wanted to achieve.

The Jesus in The Chosen is one that’s authentic to both His divinity and humanity. It shows why people were drawn to Him; His friendship, kindness, and even humor make Him “real” to the people He encountered during this short ministry. Jenkins said that his team wanted to show the human characteristics that reveal that “the creator of the universe is God with us.” Jenkins said that Roumie captures those aspects of Jesus’ humanity perfectly, while also being an example of a God-honoring celebrity. “Jonathan is an extraordinary actor who is completely surrendered to God and wants to get this right,” he said. “He wants to empty himself so that there’s less of him and more of God in his portrayal. We are divinely tied and knit together to make Jesus known and understood.” Jenkins stresses, though, that The Chosen is not creating a “new” Jesus. “We’re trying to make Him real through this medium to put a spotlight on who the real Jesus is,” he explained. Jenkins and his cast and crew are currently filming the sixth season. The show will conclude with the seventh season, which will be filmed in 2026 and released in 2027. All seasons can be watched on the show’s dedicated website (watch.thechosen.tv/) and early seasons were played on The CW and other outlets. The show has also been shown in theaters, and the fifth season will debut first in movie theaters ahead of Easter and then be available at its new Amazon Prime streaming home.

The Reaction. The Chosen has been viewed close to 200 million times and has become a touchstone for experiencing Jesus in a brand-new way in today’s media world. But Jenkins said that he never had expectations of success; he simply wanted to go where God led him. “My vision at the beginning was just one step in front of the other. I was trying to get Season 1 done, but I knew where I wanted it to go if we had the capability to do seven seasons,” he said. “If I start thinking about the response, then I start feeling the pressure. I’m so reliant on doing right by God that I honestly just don’t care about the response.” Jenkins uses the Gospel story of the bread and fish to describe how he envisions God using the show for His glory. He said that his team concentrates on providing “the best five loaves and two fish that can be” and then letting God accept their product. He trusts in God to accept the transaction and then multiply and feed as many people as needed. “If he wants to feed the 5,000… or in our case, 200 million… that’s up to Him, and I’ll do my job to give a good product,” he explains. That lesson, he said, is one that relates to the success of The Chosen– but also to daily life for the Christian. “If you can give up the fear, it can become your superpower and the only way to do that is to have a broken moment of surrender. You have to acknowledge to God that you truly want to be in His will,” Jenkins said. “And then in practice, you change your habits. If you start looking at your numbers on your social media posts or how many people show up for your ministry, or how successful you’ve become in whatever career or ministry you’ve set for yourself, it can be crippling. You want to replace those moments with Scripture, with prayer and new habits.” Today, Jenkins is encouraged by the stories he hears of people experiencing the Jesus story in new and transformative ways. He hears often from people who have shared the show with friends and family members who are typically resistant to Christian activities. Other people have told him that The Chosen has brought them back to their faith. “We hear things like ‘I haven’t been to church in a long time, and now I’m going back’ or ‘My family member and I haven’t had anything to talk about in a long time and now we do.’ The show isn’t Scripture, it’s not the end game, but it’s a tool that can be used to draw people to Jesus.”

The Family Connection. Jenkins said he was especially surprised by the way The Chosen has resonated with children and entire families. While he acknowledges that the show is a challenging adult-themed show (“it’s not a flannelgraph presentation of Jesus”), he’s learned that parents and children can experience it together. “I didn’t expect it to be multi-generational,” he said, “but parents are telling me that they’re talking about Jesus for the first time. We’ve been seeing a huge family response.” That response is what Jenkins calls the most “surprising and God-breathed” part of the process. Following the response to The Chosen, production began on an animated children’s spin-off called The Chosen Adventures. The show, which is slated to be released later this year, follows the story of Abigail and Joshua (two lead characters from the third episode of Season 1 of The Chosen) as children in Capernaum who encounter Jesus and learn lessons from Him.  Jenkins said that it’s a wonderful way to “see Jesus through kids’ eyes.” The project is a bit of a family affair for Jenkins himself, with his father authoring novels based on each Chosen season and his wife Amanda co-writing Chosen Bible studies, devotionals, and books for children. “If you want to dig deeper, we’ve got some really extraordinary material,” Jenkins said.

The End Story. Part One of Season 5 will be released in theaters on March 28, Part Two on April 4, and Part Three on April 11. The season is titled The Chosen Last Supper and portrays what Jenkins calls “the most impactful and devastating week in the history of the world.” It starts where the fourth season left off- at Jesus’ triumphal entry- and emotions run high; there is extreme joy and excitement alongside anger and confusion. “People are worshiping, enemies are nervous and there’s a powder keg in the city,” Jenkins explained. While releasing this season, production has continued for Season 6, which will cover the crucifixion, and plans are underway for Season 7, which will cover the resurrection. Jenkins describes it as a “really heavy year of releasing and filming things.” Through it all, Jenkins said that God’s hand has been on the entire project. From the show’s inception and early production to its reception from Christians and other viewers around the world, there’s been a plan. Jenkins puts it simply: “God has clearly had something to say.”

-Cheryl Wray

Cover Story

After more than three decades on the airwaves, the iconic “The Rick and Bubba Show” is making way for new ventures and possibilities for host Rick Burgess. The show, which debuted in January 1994, became a mainstay of Southern radio entertainment and made Burgess and his partner Bill “Bubba” Bussey household names and favorite local celebrities.

As he approached his 60th birthday, however, Burgess felt like “The Rick and Bubba Show” was complete. “We’ve seen so many incredible things in 31 years,” Burgess said. ‘We’ve experienced success together and Bubba’s a big part of that. As much as I loved it, though, I started to sense that we had more memories than future plans. This new venture feeds our men’s ministry, my wife Sherri’s ministry, our Bible studies, and so forth. I really want to cast one vision.”

The Rick Burgess Show. Debuting on January 6, 2025, “The Rick Burgess Show” will go back to the roots of comedy–but a style of comedy unique to Rick and his show partners (which include the familiar team members of Calvin “Speedy” Wilburn, Greg Burgess, and Chris Adler). “I want to take the show back to the comedy you’d expect from us. It’s not lewd, it’s not blue, but it’s not prudish either,” Burgess said. “It has a clever edge, but not an offensive kind of edge.” The main focus of the show, he said, is lifestyle, comedy, and some faith elements. There will be less politics and sports–two topics that became more important in recent years on “The Rick and Bubba Show.” Burgess stressed that the faith element will remain an important part of the new show, but that he and his team want to earn the right to talk about their faith with listeners. He compares that goal to the way he approaches attendees at his men’s conferences. He often speaks to men’s groups and has his own ministry to men; in approaching those men, he knows that many attend his events because of his celebrity status. “At conferences, the first thing I do is tell funny stories,” he said. “A lot of men have come into a church or an arena, and we’ve earned the right to develop a relationship with them through entertainment. I tell stories, then they say ‘Yeah, this is the guy I know.’ We want the new show to be the same way.” He laughs that he doesn’t want listeners to think, “Oh no. Rick’s about to give us a five-hour Bible study.”

“We’re Christians who do radio, and we’re on secular stations and platforms,” he said. “We understand where we are and who we’re talking to.” The show will air daily from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. CT. on approximately 60 stations in 18 states including Birmingham radio station WZZK, streaming apps, YouTube, and at rickburgessshow.com. According to Burgess, his journey to radio was something built into his character from a young age; he knows that it’s something God placed on him as a calling. His mother loved to tell about how he would put a wiffle ball bat into the cushion of a chair to create a makeshift microphone, then pair it with a recorder. “I would do a radio show right there,” he said. “As long as I’ve been conscious of what it was, I’ve had this desire to be in radio. I’m not sure where that pull came from.” Burgess does know, however, the moment when he realized that his passion for radio could be a witness to his faith. “In 1996, when I was redeemed, it became clear why this was put into my life,” he said. “It was to glorify Him.”

We had the pleasure of watching the first Rick Burgess show live from the studio and spoke with Rick afterwards about the big first day. Watch the video below to learn more.

Although Burgess was raised in a Christian family, he said that he was a “cultural” Christian even at the time that the original radio show began. He said that Jesus was his Savior, but not his Lord. When he was convicted about the nature of his relationship with God, it changed everything. “I wasn’t transformed by my faith, and I didn’t submit to the authority of Jesus. I was raised in the cultural side of Christianity, so when I was old enough not to go, I didn’t go to church,” he said. “But then I was convicted with the question of ‘Why don’t I have a desire to go to church?’” He soon learned that God would only give him responsibility when he was ready for it. Once Burgess began walking in a closer spiritual relationship, the things of God became important, and he began building a ministry.

Today, that ministry is large and varied. Burgess houses his entertainment ministry under the BIG Vox umbrella (named after the Latin word for “voice” and because Burgess laughs, he has a big, loud voice); he and his wife have Burgess Ministries (which include wife Sherri’s books, marriage conferences, women’s and men conferences, devotionals, curriculum, and anything ministry-related); they also run the 501C3 Bronner Burgess Memorial Fund where they give to ministries around the world in the name of their late son.

A primary focus for Burgess is his work with men, which takes place through conferences, Bible studies and curriculum, and a new book coming out in May titled Men Don’t Run in the Rain. Burgess started The Man Church in 2020, with the intent of providing discipleship resources to men and their leaders. Through conferences and small group curriculum and devotionals, The Man Church strives to equip men with what they need to succeed in their Christian walk. “We realized that we had a lot of resources for men, but that what was missing was discipleship,” Burgess said. “We challenge men, but we don’t equip them. If you don’t equip men, you build frustration because they feel like you’re telling them what to do, but not how to do it.” To equip men, Burgess’ ministries provide practical advice and help. Its five 40-week curriculum for small groups, for example, has helped men in more than 2,000 churches. The Man Church conferences don’t offer just fellowship and worship–they challenge and equip participants. Men Don’t Run in the Rain will be exclusively available at the Man Church conferences in January and will then be sold to the general public with book signings, podcast appearances, and other events in May. The book, Burgess said, was inspired by his father who passed away just over a year ago.  “My father was a unique individual, and I never met anyone quite like him,” he said. “It was great to have a wonderful dad, but I know not everyone can say that.” The book tells stories about his father with a touch of humor, while also including Biblical applications that his father taught him. “I’ve never written anything like this. With books I’ve written before, I never thought that they sounded like me,” Burgess said. “But this one has my voice. It’s raw and who I really am.” He and Sherri also serve through their local church– Valleydale Church in Birmingham– where he serves as a deacon, leads the men’s ministry and together they teach a life group with another couple. 

While his life is busy, Burgess knows that this is the perfect season of his life for the activities and ministries. His children are grown, his marriage is a priority, and there’s more time and resources to serve together in ministry. “We’re empty nesters, and we can now do different things,” he said. “A lot of research says that the years from 60 to 70 can be the most impactful of a man’s life. I feel like I have more energy now at 60 than I did at 40. I’m prepared for this next decade.” As Burgess looks at his past and into the future, he says that his vision is illustrative of how Christians should see their lives. “The way I feel about the show and my life is that if your memories are more important than your vision, then you may need to change how you look at things,” he said. “We know the end, and we win. We should be the most joyful of all people.”

-Cheryl Wray

Cover Story

Jeff Allen isn’t there yet, but he’s well on his way. It’s been a long journey, but he isn’t walking it alone now.

His comedy tour Are We There Yet? brings Allen’s journey into the light and demonstrates comedy from agony. He isn’t merely telling a sad story. His hilarious comedy drives home the humor in everyday family life, the ups and downs of marriage, the challenge of rearing children, and the joys of being a grandparent. He laughs and jokes and sometimes gets emotional relating devastating hardships. Allen brings family audiences along with him and will take the stage here in Birmingham this month. He puts out good, clean humor with a great message to boot.

In Are We There Yet?, Allen’s comedy has become a tour worthy of family entertainment. Now in his fifth decade as a working comedian, Allen’s show first features his brilliant standup comedy, which has garnered hundreds of millions of fans around the globe. The second part is based on his book, Are We There Yet? My Journey from a Messed up to Meaningful Life (released 2023) which tears down all walls and shows Allen’s journey from very dark times, to recovery, to restoration, and ultimately to redemption through Jesus Christ. He opens his shows by inviting people to support local charities. His goal is “to make a difference that outlives the tour… that outlives me.” Allen’s rapid-fire humor is a hit with all ages. A live comedy favorite, at times both gut-wrenching and sidesplitting, the Are We There Yet? tour offers a unique glimpse into his crazy world. 

Exactly what makes Allen special? His comedy is relatable; the sublime craftmanship in his act is flawless; he can spend 90 minutes on stage and not say anything you wouldn’t want your granddaughter to hear. Allen enjoys performing at early hours to draw parents and older audiences to his shows. “I’ll get parents home before their babysitter has time to get caught in an embarrassing situation,” he jokes. “Really, it’s that my audience doesn’t go out much after 8 p.m., so we started asking clubs to let me do 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and they quickly sold out.” In both the book and tour, Are We There Yet?, Allen takes audiences on the rollercoaster ride that his life and career took before he found redemption. Allen drastically reworked what had been an angry act filled with foul and hateful language. His comedy was reinvented: he became a smiling, happy comic who works clean. “I had a heart change. It was interesting because the comedy material didn’t change much. It was just how it was delivered- the vessel changed.”

Pursuing a Moronic Lazy Atheist. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Allen can be measured in consistent “laughs per minute.” He shares the inspirational and at times laugh-out-loud story of how God rescued him from drunken alcoholism, cocaine and despair through the book of Ecclesiastes. He started listening to three taped sermons a day about all aspects of the Bible, including Jesus. Before redemption, Allen describes himself as “a shallow, empty, vacuous man filled with anger; a jaded, bitter, foul-mouthed cynical man- definitely, not a nice man- with a very large ego.” Long before he knew or believed there was a God, that same God used an ancient poem, The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson, to pull him into a different reality. Allen saw himself in the poem. Through symbolism, The Hound of Heaven pictures God ever pursuing a deviant, depressed man while he runs. God so follows the fleeing soul by His divine grace that the soul feels the pressure to turn to Him alone in that never-ending pursuit. God chased Allen in another rather odd way through a friend he had met at a golf course. This man had done well in business, and Allen began asking him about ways to make money. Phil explained, “You don’t want a lot of money.” “I don’t?” “No, you can’t handle what little you have. To enjoy the creation, you must have a relationship with the One who created it. When you can handle a little, you will be entrusted to handle a lot.” 

“Phil got me thinking about life in a way I never had before. I didn’t know it at the time, but Jesus got people to open up by asking questions. The problem? Great wealth was my mighty goal.” Allen hadn’t counted on the friend being a Christian and calling his atheism “simple moronic laziness,” an atheist who couldn’t come up with anything he disagreed with in the Bible because he had never read it. Thus began the friend’s mailing him tape after tape of the whole Bible preached by Tommy Nelson. Of course, Allen threw the tapes in a closet until years later when his marriage was all but gone and his stage appearances were failing. For years he had been taking his rage out on his wife and those around him by verbally berating them and making nasty jokes. “I had started a journey where I explored all kinds of philosophies. After seven or eight years of recovery and self-help and New Age and Buddhism, I realized that there was no point to this life. My beautiful wife who loved me was so frustrated with me. I had children that were healthy, I had a job I loved, but there was no point to it,” Allen shares, adding, “When I was 14, my father told me there is no God, and I believed him… Eventually, I went into a 12-step program, and they said, “Pray,” and I said “To what?” They said “Well, something bigger than you in this universe.” It’s interesting how arrogant a drunk can be. I said, “Is there anything larger than me in the universe? Are you kidding me? I am the center of the universe.” Allen sought help in almost everything. Eventually, he found the tossed aside tapes and started listening to the Bible sermons. Ecclesiastes 1:1 spoke his language of hopelessness. “When I heard ‘meaningless, meaningless, all in life is meaningless,’ I agreed. That was my conclusion, too- nothing mattered. I was a full-blown nihilist; nothing mattered. What I really got out of that first sermon tape was life without God will have no meaning, and without meaning, there’s no purpose- and in a life without purpose, suicide. That summed up my eight-year search. I personally couldn’t find anything that gave me lasting peace or joy. That’s why I’m so concerned about today’s millennials who choose these same thought patterns and are their own gods.” Allen kept listening to the tapes. “Jesus said, ‘Don’t worry about this life, I’ll give you a new counselor in the form of the Holy Spirit.’ That was a new way of viewing of the world. It ushered in the proverbial ‘come-to-Jesus’ meeting. I got on my knees and when my friend who was leading me to Jesus asked, ‘Can you admit you’re a sinner? I said, well, let’s not go overboard… yeah… I know what I am. I know what I am.’”

Besides Allen, his wife Tami and two children had much repair work to do. The divorce papers remained unfiled, and his children had to come to terms with all of it and are still doing so. To his son who said he didn’t really remember much of the angry early life, Jeff responded, “You may not remember what I poured into you but one day your wife will draw it out of you.” Breast cancer challenged Tami’s life. After her thirty-first radiation treatment, she declared that she was not going to be defined by cancer and even helped Allen in some of his standup comedy. These days Allen is involved with One Church Home in Fairview, Tenn., and sometimes leads men’s groups. Often, he performs comedy routines as fundraisers in communities and for corporations. A summer delight each year is two dedicated weeks with the grandkids. God brought Allen into His kingdom, rescuing him from addictions and despair. Allen is thirty-one years alcohol and drug free and is helping clean up comedy one bleep at a time. The Hound of Heaven, through the book of Ecclesiastes, captured the heart of the raucous comedian who cleaned up his act. Allen walks with the Hound now. “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep His commands because this is for all humankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

-Sheila E. Moss: author of Living to Matter: Mothers, Singles, and the Weary and Broken; Interrupting Women: Ten Conversations with Jesus; and international publications derived from teaching Bible and Christian ethics in Africa, Ukraine, Venezuela, and England; teacher of Bible classes for 35+ years; mother of five adult children and grandmother of eleven. 

Jeff Allen on Football in Alabama

“One of my favorite Alabama stories is when Tami and I first moved to Tennessee. I had a gig at the Stardome in Birmingham. Earlier that month Tami and I had purchased a van from a friend of ours in Knoxville. Tami showed dogs and needed something to transport dogs to and from the shows. This particular weekend she didn’t have a show, but I did, so we decided to pack the kids up and head to the Stardome. We stopped in Huntsville on the way down and visited the Space Museum and headed toward Birmingham. It was a beautiful fall day. I had the windows open, and we were having a great afternoon. As soon as we got into the Birmingham area, people were honking at us, yelling out their windows and waving obscene gestures at us. I must admit it was perplexing until I stopped to fill up our tank and I noticed the Wheel connected to the back of the van had a huge orange “T” on it. I asked Tami if she thought that that might be the source of the angst that we had been subjected to. She told me to take it off and see. Well low and behold it stopped. It was my first introduction to football in Alabama. I always try to find something positive in every situation, so here is my take. I was able to unite the two football rivals on a Saturday afternoon. Auburn and Alabama fans got together for the first time and agreed that they hate Tennessee. For that I am proud to be a uniter not a divider.”

Cover Story

An entire generation of television watchers know Danica McKellar as one of the stars of the 1980s television show The Wonder Years. Her portrayal of young Winnie Cooper was delicate and heartwarming and one of the main reasons the Emmy Award-winning show is still beloved. Now McKellar is beloved for another kind of role, as she’s become one of the most popular leading ladies in the ever-popular Christmas movie genre. She says that these roles- first on the Hallmark Channel, and now on the faith-based Great American Family television network- are what gives her particular joy. They represent, she said, the kind of behavior model she wants to set and the kind of entertainment programming there needs to be more of today.

A Cinderella Christmas Ball. McKellar stars in a new Christmas movie to premiere on Black Friday (November 29, 2024) called A Cinderella Christmas Ball. In the movie, McKellar plays Chelsea Jones, a dance instructor from Chicago who travels to a fictional European country to learn more about her long-lost birth parents. While there, she has to teach a stubborn prince (played by Oliver Rice) to dance in preparation for a royal ball designed to help him find a wife. “It’s the story of a woman who is trying to find her biological father, and she has a heart for foster kids,” McKellar said. “She finds a clue before Christmas about her father, and it takes her to Havenshire. The search isn’t going well so she gets a job as a dance teacher to help this very reluctant prince. And he helps me on this emotional journey to find my father while helping me learn to dance.” Over the years, McKellar starred in 18 movies for the Hallmark Channel. She’s played the main character in Christmas movies, but also mysteries and romantic comedies. The movies have always been inspiring, but now the movies she stars in are even more faith centric. “I’ve been associated with wholesome television since I was a kid,” she said. “It started on ‘The Wonder Years,’ and that’s what feels best. I’ve played roles that don’t show human nature in the best light, and I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to lift people up.” McKellar said she was in her 30s when she asked herself what sort of stories she wanted to tell through her acting. “What do I want to spend time doing? What kind of stories do I want to put in people’s living rooms?” she asked herself. “It’s so rewarding to have roles that model good behavior.” McKellar, who has authored numerous educational math books for kids and teenagers (she took a break from acting and graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a degree in mathematics), served as a writer on her latest Christmas movie and is looking toward writing more in the future. “I write educational books for kids, making math fun, and have written high school geometry textbooks,” she said. “But I’ve also been an actress forever, read a billion scripts, and have ideas for movies with more faith involved.”

The Wonder of Christmas Movies. McKellar said that she appreciates how much people love Christmas movies; in fact, they’ve become an important holiday tradition for many. “People love the cozy Christmas movies, the cozy rom-coms, the cozy mysteries,” she said. “People talk about how they’re an escape. The world gets crazier and more divided all the time, so they do offer an escape. But I think these movies do even more than provide an escape.” She said that the movies model a certain kind of behavior and show what human nature can be. “They show what’s possible when you want to do the right thing,” she said. “Yes, you have struggles, but you want to do it the right way and do the right thing. These are standards that mostly we don’t get to see on TV.” According to Bill Abbott, the President and CEO of Great America Media (home to the Great American Family Network and other family-friendly entertainment brands), his company focuses on Christmas “as it’s meant to be.” The former Hallmark Channel executive who has been instrumental in creating the fastest growing network on television over the last year said that Great American Family’s Christmas movies recognize that the true celebration of the season is the birth of Christ. “We know that the focus of the season is religious. It’s not commercial, but thoughtful and thought provoking,” Abbott said. “We’re not going to run away from faith. We’re unabashed and proud of faith, family, and country.” He said that fans of such Christmas movies are passionate, and they’ve helped make the network and streaming service extremely successful. “We’re proud to now be a big part of creating Christmas movies,” he said. “We have a rabid fan base that loves what we do.” Abbott credits Great American Family’s slate of celebrities as one reason that fans are drawn to its movies, television shows, and other programming. In addition to McKellar, the company features Candace Cameron Bure among other stars. “Candace, Danica, and our other celebrities are so ideal for what we represent. They are different from what else we see in Hollywood,” he said. “And it’s no surprise that many of them were childhood stars. There’s a nostalgia there, and they represent our brand really well.”

McKellar said that she’s thankful to work with Great American Family. “I love the movies, and I love the family,” she said. “It’s a dream.” McKellar worked with Abbott at Hallmark, and she credits him for reviving her career and for making her such a big part of the Christmas movie genre. While McKellar calls Abbott the “mind behind the Christmas movie phenomenon,” he himself said there were a number of people who deserve credit for the popular trend. He and others recognized that Christmas is all about tradition- whether it’s meeting with family, making cookies, ice skating, celebrating with music, and other common tropes of the genre–and holiday movies extend the tradition even further. “Christmas moves are a great way to embrace the season,” he said. At Great American Media- the home of Great American Family, Great American Faith, Great American Adventures, and Pure Flix- those movies are closely acquainted with faith. “There are so many ways to tell stories with faith in them,” McKellar said. “Some have faith on the side. Maybe we see that the character has faith, and they lean on it through the story. Or maybe they go through a faith journey. Whatever it is, I’m interested in stories that explore faith itself.”

Focus on Faith. For McKellar, faith has been a relatively new part of her life. “I’ve only been on my faith journey for about two and a half years,” she said. “I’m now on my second time reading through the Bible, and I used to have the impression that it was sort of long and boring and a list of rules. But it’s filled with all sorts of things, and it’s really fun to get into it.” McKellar, who has been married to her lawyer husband Scott Sveslosky since 2014 and homeschools her teenage son, said that she’s interested now in sharing her faith through her acting projects. She’s found herself watching many of Pure Flix’s faith-based programs and has been inspired to develop similar ideas for movies in the future. Abbott also credits his faith for all of his plans and priorities. He grew up in a Christian family with parents who instilled a mentality about the way you treat others. His father was in the military, so he learned early that faith, country, and character were of utmost importance. “I’m very blessed to do what I do,” he said, “and to focus on faith.”

Getting Ready for Christmas. Both McKellar and Abbott say they love the Christmas season and look forward to their upcoming Christmas projects, and the season in general. McKellar said she usually gets ready for Christmas even before Thanksgiving has arrived, and this year looks forward to the premiere of A Cinderella Christmas Ball. “I love that it will premiere on Black Friday,” she said, noting that she’ll be live-Tweeting during the movie. “For many people it’s the first acceptable day to start celebrating Christmas.” Abbott said that he loves the Christmas season, and he has excitement for the projects his company has in store for this year and beyond. “I’m a huge Christmas fan,” he said. “I’ve always loved the music, and the season, and the feeling of home.” This year, the network is hosting a Christmas Festival in New York City featuring meet-and-greets with its brand talent, movie screenings, Christmas experiences, a Santa village, and much more. And on the networks and online, Great American Media has 18 Christmas movies featured for 2024. At www.greatamericanfamily.com, visitors can find almost 100 Christmas programs in total. And the network is already getting ready for 2025, with plans for brand-new Christmas movies. “We’re always looking to elevate the quality of our content,” Abbott said. “We’ll focus on both faith and family, and we have some really high-quality movies coming next year.” With the Christmas season just around the corner, that’s good news for everyone who loves cozy stories with a message of faith.

-Cheryl Wray