Dallas, Texas, Feb 8, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Arch Bonnema, a member of the Dallas-area Prestonwood Baptist Church near Dallas, has decided to involve his family in renting a 20-screen Cinemark complex to show Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” to show it to 6,000 people, according to Baptist Press.
Bonnema was to be invited to a preview of “The Passion of the Christ” when a friend had to back out at the last minute. The film had such an impact on him that he wanted to share it with as many people as possible.
“I have been a Christian all of my life, and I have heard people talk about Jesus dying for our sins and sacrificing His life,” Bonnema told Baptist Press. “But when you hear it repetitively, it loses impact. When you see this film, it really hits home the sacrifice that Jesus made for us,” he added.
Bonnema and his wife decided to do something significant and inquired about renting out the Cinemark complex in Plano for the day “The Passion” is released, Feb. 25.