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A Word-driven ministry
By Erinn Streckfuss and Kristyn Johnson
J-Lab Staff
With a powerful presentation and a booming voice that hardly needed a microphone, Jason Nightingale struck the hearts of many Corban students as he recited the book of Revelation at Corban’s first ever Night Chapel.
“Jason shows how powerful the Word can be when simply proclaimed,” said Professor Greg Trull. “I believe it is effective and empowering because its focus allows for the Spirit to use it to penetrate our hearts.”
For that hour-and-a-half, it was as if John were standing in front of the students, teachers, friends, and other staff, proclaiming and reassuring that Christ is the Son of God and that He is coming again to reign and take us home.
Nightingale, who calls home wherever he is on the road, has a passion for the lost. Whether it be orphans, widows, the homeless, Liberian refugees, or simply people, his goal is to see that all are reached with Christ’s love.
His main means of ministering to those around the world, everywhere from India to Kenya to China, is by memorizing large portions of the Bible and presenting them in dramatic and life changing ways.
“Through what we do, our soul motivation, our hearts’ desire, is to build up the church, in whatever state or manifestation, be it anything from small Bible studies to large churches,” Nightingale explained.
Raised a Roman Catholic, Nightingale did not become a true believer in Christ until he joined a Christian theater company.
“The thing that brought me back to God was the Christian theater company I fell into,” said Nightingale. “They invited me to join them and so I did. I got trained with them as an actor and was eventually on stage thousands of times. I began to read the Bible to find out about the doctrines of the plays we were doing. God used that to save me.”
He was not always involved in theater and did not even have a knack for it.
“As a young person, I just helped out with stage crew and stuff,” Nightingale explains. “I never took speech or did plays or anything. I was an artist and I was really into painting and drawing. That was my medium. That is what I wanted to do. Eventually, I got into drugs and walked away from anything wholesome for awhile, especially while I was a medic in Vietnam.”
The Christian theater company became Jason’s saving grace, and as the years went by God placed a passion in his heart for memorizing and speaking Scripture with a dramatic emphasis. Although the first book he memorized was 1 Peter, he felt very strongly about memorizing the book of Revelation as a theatrical production to North America.
“It was amazing to see how God can use us all for different ministries,” said Janet Galambush, who attended the night chapel. “I never would have thought reciting the Word would have been used as a ministry. Jason’s presentation was definitely encouraging and I’m still in awe.”
This passion for Scripture memorization led to the founding of Wordsower International, which he and his wife Sharon established. The main mission of Wordsower is to encourage the church around the world through theater and preaching ministries.
“We combine the two,” Nightingale said. “We are Scripture-tellers, rather than story tellers. I tell the Word. I bring in disciplines from theater, acting, oral interpretation, story-telling, and chancel theater, which is theater designed to be performed in the church, and combine them together to help encourage and build up the church.”
Although what Nightingale does with Wordsower is very important, he sees a greater ministry in how he lives out his faith.
Nightingale and his wife, Sharon have been involved in mission work for more than 20 years. After visiting Africa many years ago to meet a child they were sponsoring, they left supporting more than 800 children.
“We weren’t rich by any means,” Nightingale said. “We came home and we had to live in a motor home.”
Working with a camp of over 60,000 Liberian refugees in Ghana, they continue to return to Africa. They help support over 150 orphans in this camp, as well as 300 widows and two churches that have been started in the camp.
With Bible studies and churches starting up continually, the Nightingales have their work cut out for them. Their hearts are not only in Africa, but also in India, China, and Bolivia, where they continue to support orphans, help plant and build up churches, and teach others to spread the gospel throughout these countries.
“This ministry is fueled by the prayers of God’s people,” said Nightingale to the student body at night chapel. “Please don’t forget to pray for my kids.”
While doing mission work, Nightingale travels to these countries with his staff and speaks the Word in English, often using an interpreter. He has also trained men in other countries to do what he is doing.
Nightingale’s style was completely different from anything the students at Corban anticipated. His ministry is out of the norm, which gives it that unique spin empowering people everywhere.
“I don’t think I have a special gift,” he said. “I believe we all have the ability to memorize. I just think God has called me and has given me the ability to speak the Word with power.”
As Nightingale closed the night chapel with acclamation of Christ’s power, glory, and return, he said something that resonated even after he was done. Earlier in the chapel he challenged the students by saying, “Be a doer of the Word, not a listener only. It is easy to listen, but it is even harder to do.”
