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Bonnie Mbuli’s bold ministry bridges gap between faith and art for Christian artists
The South African actress has launched Anodos Ministry "to shift the narrative about the artists' relationship with the Church".
South African actress Bonnie Mbuli has launched a Christian movement. Picture: bonniembuli/Instagram
In a bid to help fellow Christians in the entertainment industry who struggle with balance of upholding their religious beliefs while pursuing artistic goals, South African actress Bonnie Mbuli has launched Anodos Ministry.
“Anodos Ministry was birthed from a shared desire between my co-founders and myself, to not only call kingdom creators to a higher standard of excellence, but to shift the narrative about the artists’ relationship with the Church. Artists have always somehow felt like the step children of the kingdom, right?” said Bonnie on her Instagram.
“I’m blessed to finally be a part of a church One Online, that identifies with this struggle and has played a massive role in fortifying the alignment of my craft and calling with God’s purpose for my life. God is calling his artists back.”
On its website, Anodos Ministry says it is committed to illuminating the path back to God through the art of film and creation.
“We serve artists who will be unleashed as a creative force for the manifestation of God’s Kingdom. Anodos Ministry aspires to cultivate a world where the Kingdom of God is fully present, where art is a reflection of His infinite creativity, and where our films touch hearts, expand minds, and bring glory to our Creator.”
Bonnie is the chief spiritual advisor and assistant director at Anodos, US film director Jesse Dvorak is president and creative director, with Nathan Clarkson as the creative contributor.
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Living her purpose
Bonnie is a seasoned South African actress and author, her 2012 autobiography Eyebags & Dimples is a bestseller. She moved to Los Angeles about nine months ago to further pursue her career.
“The past couple of months have been a culmination of my experiences, prophetic words, skill, talent and faith converging into a divine alignment of my purpose and calling,” wrote the 44-year-old on her Instagram.
In one episode of their podcast Bonnie sits down with Anodos President Dvorak to speak about the challenge Gospel artists face when building a name in the industry while having a solid foundation in God.
“I mean you know this, our industry is a lot about building a name, but you can’t build a name without an identity, a formed identity. We’re out there trying to build this name and it’s not anchored on any complete identity or healthy identity,” said Bonnie.
“So repeatedly in my journey with the Lord, he’s had to bring me back to that place of ‘Bonnie what I want us to build is your identity’.”
The clip of the episode shared on Bonnie’s Instagram resonated with a number of her followers, one of them being former TV host Precious Kofi.
“This can also apply to an online creator – the dopamine hit one gets from the immediate attention/the chase for a viral video – more attention, having to maintain that attention. Without a solid foundation of who you are truly or what you stand for, it can be an emotional roller coaster,” wrote Kofi.
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