Passion and Purpose

His passion for media has taken him around the world and back again. He’s hung with university students in Indonesia, experienced the isolation of a Northern Ontario reserve, and lived in Germany – twice. John Ervin is a writer, producer, and director, and when he was a senior in college, God sparked a flame in his heart that He stoked into in all-consuming fire. This fire is God’s call on John’s life.

John had nearly completed his university degree when an elective changed the course of his life. In a Communications class, John and four other students created a multimedia presentation blending together images with live music and drama. The school loved the project and sent the group of five students on a tour of the west coast to showcase it to various churches to endorse the college. But for John, it was much more than that – it was a method of conveying his faith walk in a contemporary means.

Following college he married his wife Geri and the couple began working as missionaries with MB Mission in Germany. Three years later they returned to the United States and John took a teaching job at high school. With his desire still firmly intact, God began opening doors to the media world, and John has been faithfully engaging in his passion since 1979. His jobs have taken him across the country and back to Europe, where he worked as a Producer, Director, and Writer for two German Christian ministries.

John’s ministry intersected with MB Mission once again when he accepted a position directing the Multimedia Arts Center at Fresno Pacific University in 1994. A shared video editing suite with MB Mission gave way to many opportunities for John to edit missionary videos and even go on assignment with MB Mission to capture footage of mission work in different nations. John loved sharing stories of transformation through film, and the possibility of doing this full time was planted in his head. Such a position didn’t exist at MB Mission, but John decided to nurture this growing vision through prayer.

In 2006 John was challenged to take a step of faith by an MB Mission Regional Mobilizer who spoke at his home church in Reedley, California. The question was, “Where is God positioning you?” and John was sure he knew the answer. He spent the next day filling out an application for MB Mission and outlining a proposal of his vision to use multimedia to capture God’s work around the globe. MB Mission caught the vision, and since then John has served with them through producing SHINE ON videos and dozens of missionary interviews.

John’s most memorable video production happened on his first trip to Phuket, Thailand to visit the Operation 2nd Wave team. “When God calls us Satan will discourage us from taking steps of obedience,” says John. “Sometimes it’s easy to think what we’re doing isn’t making any impact.” God used a local Thai lady named Duan to affirm John’s call in a miraculous way. “My name is John,” he said to Duan when they met at Rob and Judy Griffioen’s home one evening. Duan’s face broke into a wide smile. “Two weeks ago the Lord spoke to me in a dream,” she explained. “He asked me to pray for a man named John from North America who is doing an important work!”

Duan’s words not only provided the encouragement that he needed, but as she opened up to him, her story of transformation became one of the many that John has shared through video. MB Mission is thankful to John for using his gifts to bring glory to God by sharing stories of hope from around the world!

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:14-16

As a Media Producer for MB Mission, John raises 100% of his salary and ministry expenses. If God is calling you to support John in sharing God’s transforming power worldwide, you can do so under Project Code C0564 or by visiting www.mbmission.org/jgervin

Click here to watch the ShineOn videos that John has produced for MB Mission.