'We've Never Changed': Dallas Jenkins Responds to 'The Chosen' Debates, Wants Series to Draw People 'Closer to the Bible and the Real Jesus'

Billy Hallowell : Jun 12, 2023
Faithiwire.com

"To be clear, there was no [pride] flag 'flown'…and there was no statement made by 'The Chosen' about pride or pride month anything like that. There is no promotion of anything happening, unlike some of the headlines..." -Dallas Jenkins, director-The Chosen

[Faithwire.com] "We've never changed—not in our process or approach, nor my beliefs or intentions." (Screengrab image)

This definitive proclamation from Dallas Jenkins, creator, writer, director, and producer of "The Chosen" comes at a critical time for the monumentally popular series.

By all standards, "The Chosen" is a rare phenomenon—a Bible-themed, multi-season show focused on how Jesus intersected with and impacted the lives of some of Scripture's most revered figures.

The series' impact has been profound and only continues to grow after last month's announcement Lionsgate, the Canadian-American film studio, acquired worldwide distribution rights to all seasons.

But as many celebrate the series' popularity and reach, "The Chosen" has also been at the center of contentious headlines. First, there was a flap over a pride flag observed on set; then, there were questions about how "The Chosen" was being framed in media.

Jenkins, currently filming the show's fourth season, has repeatedly addressed the pride flag observed in a promotional video, explaining the 3-inch symbol belongs to an independent contractor on the crew and is affixed to the individual's personal equipment.

"To be clear, there was no flag flown...and there was no statement made by 'The Chosen' about pride or pride month anything like that," Jenkins said in a previous video statement. "There is no promotion of anything happening, unlike some of the headlines."

Still, media coverage, furor, and some spurious claims have persisted.

Jenkins on the Pride Flag Furor

Jenkins told CBN's Faithwire in an email interview Monday morning when asked about the biggest misconceptions currently encircling the show that there are several misunderstandings and misreadings.

"Where do I start? It's tough to find an article about us that doesn't have at least one thing wrong, but it's fine; we really try to focus on the work and let the content speak for itself," Jenkins said. "Obviously, currently the biggest misconception among a vocal minority is that we were flying a pride flag on set and have gone woke."

Jenkins reiterated the flag was "unintentionally included in the corner of a behind-the-scenes video for a couple seconds" and that it was on an independent contractor's personal equipment... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Continue reading, and watch Dallas' Livestream video Here.