October 16, 2008

CHICAGO – Special showings of "A Time for Burning" in Nebraska and New York will coincide with its broadcast on the Documentary Channel. "A Time for Burning" is a landmark civil rights film featuring the struggles of Augustana Lutheran Church, Omaha, Neb., in 1965, and its pastor, the Rev. L. William Youngdahl.

The 58-minute black-and-white documentary, produced and released in 1966 by Lutheran Film Associates, was reissued on DVD in 2005 by Docurama Films. "A Time for Burning" was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2006 as part of a library of more than 400 selected films preserved for their cultural, historic and artistic significance.

The documentary's producer-director, William C. Jersey, will be on hand for screenings Oct. 17 at the University of Nebraska, College of Journalism, Lincoln; Oct. 18 at the Ruth Sokolof Theater, Omaha; and Oct. 20 at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in Manhattan, New York. Jersey is to take part in a discussion with the audiences following the screenings. A special interfaith worship service commemorates the film Oct. 19 at Augustana Lutheran Church.

The Documentary Channel will show the film at 8, 9 and 11 p.m. EDT on Oct. 20. The channel is available in Denver, Nashville, New York and via satellite on the DISH Network.

Lutheran Film Associates (LFA), an organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, was established in 1952. Begun by the United Lutheran Church in America and the National Lutheran Council, LFA released its first motion picture, "Martin Luther," in 1953.

Robert E.A. Lee, Baldwin, N.Y., was LFA director from 1954 to 1988 and executive producer of "A Time for Burning." He said the documentary was to be "a visual aid" to help Lutherans respond as responsible Christians to the racial tensions of the 1960s. "Little did we then realize that we would be led to the right congregation in Omaha, who dared risk its life with cameras looking on, and led to the right creative filmmakers, Quest Productions with its director, Bill Jersey," Lee said.

"While all of the major networks were invited to show the film, only the public broadcast TV stations agreed to show it. The commercial networks gave as their reason for turning it down the fact that they didn't produce it themselves and therefore were not in control. It may have been euphemistic language for its ‘being too controversial,'" Lee said.

"I am surprised that the issue remains relevant even though the specific issues themselves may have changed," Lee added.

"A Time for Burning" chronicles the work of Pastor Youngdahl, who spurred his all-white congregation into action. In the story Youngdahl tries to get the congregation to reach out to African American Lutherans. Jersey captured Youngdahl's efforts in the early days of the civil rights movement.

Another prominent character in "A Time for Burning" is Ernie Chambers – a local barber who challenged Youngdahl and other white Lutherans to confront racism. Chambers retired from the Nebraska Legislature in April 2008 after serving 38 years as a state senator.

Information about "A Time for Burning" is at http://tinyurl.com/c7lte/, on the Web.

Information about Lutheran Film Associates is at http://www.lutheranfilm.org/, on the Web.

ELCA News Service