Dr. Larry Poland was laid to rest in Wheaton, Illinois at the age of 83 in April of last year. He passed at his home in nearby Carol Stream having retired several years earlier. Larry had a remarkable Hollywood career.
If you’ve never heard of him, I would not be surprised.
He was not a star on stage or screen although he looked the part. His calling had much more of an eternal perspective. Coming to faith in Christ at age 17, Larry would graduate from Wheaton College with a BA degree in Sociology. He then earned a Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in College Administration from Purdue University, as well as a Master of Divinity degree from Grace Theological Seminary.
Smart guy.
And get this. In 1967, Dr. Poland became the youngest college president in the United States when he assumed the presidency of Miami Christian College. While there, he founded WMCU-FM, the first Christian radio station in Miami. We might say it was the beginning of his media ministry.
Dr. Poland’s story is too long for me to recount here, but when I first met him, he was heading up a ministry known as Mastermedia International. Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ had encouraged Larry to pursue this outreach to media executives in Hollywood and New York. And that is what he did from 1985 to 2016.
Larry was a master at building relationships. When meeting with those at the highest levels of media in our country, he first built a friendship — knowing that God would open doors at His pleasure. His many stories could easily fill a volume or two.
One of Dr. Poland’s remarkable ministry “products” was a monthly media prayer calendar. Each day, one would find the name of a media leader or influencer for whom to pray. It became such a notable item in the industry that often leaders would ask to be included!
I turn the corner here to mention that upon Dr. Poland’s retirement, Dan Rupple was handed the reins of the Mastermediia International ministry. Dan himself was a entertainment veteran.
Having worked in media for over 40 years, his talents included creative development, comedy writing, consulting, production and executive management. Dan has worked within the highest ranks of network television and on the forefront of digital media. Dan’s production work credits included The Price Is Right, The Late Show with David Letterman, The 49th Prime Time Emmy Awards, Family Feud and many other network programs for CBS.
Rupple continues to publish a monthly Mastermedia newsletter. The July 3rd issue offered a most interesting headline: “Hollywood’s State of Struggle and Awakening.”
Bottom line, Dan claims that in his nearly 50 years in the entertainment industry, he’s not seen “Hollywood in the state it is today,” going so far as to say the film industry is in crisis.
Statistically, film, TV, commercial and other production activity in Southern California was 20.5% lower than the five-year average in the first quarter of 2024, The financial losses have resulted in waves of layoffs at the biggest industry players: Disney, Warner Bros., Discovery, Paramount, NBCUniversal, Amazon, MGM Studios, Lionsgate, Netflix, Sony and others.
On the other hand, faith based themed films are drawing new crowds to theaters. Sound of Freedom grossed $250 miliion. The Chosen, both the TV releases and the movie, have shown significant success. Newer releases like Sight and Unsung Hero have also done well.
As always, Mastermedia calls for continued prayer for the lives of those executives and influencers in media. Dan Rupple specifically mentions praying for those who “impact culture with their talents.”
I often fall short on that front and more often complain with seeing new releases like ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ – a film in which contains offensive references about Jesus.
Make no mistake. Dr. Larry Poland and Dan Rupple are well aware of the the sins of Hollywood. They also recognize the massive influence these breeders have on our culture.
Jesus said this,
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10, ESV)
As Christ’s ambassadors, we must rise to the call. Like Larry Poland and Dan Rupple have chosen to do with their lives.
About 18 months ago, I had a final lunch with my friend Larry. He gave me copies of two of his books, Signed, of course. Treasures from a man who reached out — and up — to win souls for Jesus.
Even praying for those whom we often feel prey upon us.
