The Power Team is a group of

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

evangelist Evangelist may refer to: Religion * Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels * Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ * Evangelist (Anglican Church), a co ...

s, based in

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, Texas. They incorporate their preaching with displays of strength and

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preser ...

skills. They were founded in the late 1970s by John Jacobs. Their performances, usually taped at large

megachurch A megachurch is a church with an unusually large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities, usually Protestant or Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant C ...

es, were broadcast on TBN (and other Christian television stations in the United States) in the late 1980s.

History

The Power Team often conducts performances in churches and venues, such as schools, to encourage audiences from outside

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...

communities. When performing in public schools, they are not permitted to discuss religion, instead promoting social responsibility and abstention from drugs and alcohol. The group's promotional material indicated that it presented a "message that strengthens and restores the family". In May 2000, original Power Team leader John Jacobs divorced his wife Ruthanne. This was followed by numerous members leaving the Power Team to form a new ministry called Team Impact. In 2002, the Power Team filed for

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debto ...

protection. The "Power Team 2.0" is currently in operation. Todd Keene has been the president since 2003.

TV appearances

In 1999, The Power Team portrayed themselves in "The Principal" episode of ''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film '' Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the ...

'' (motivating a high school of wayward students). The Power Team briefly appeared in a July 22, 2008 episode of ''

America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribu ...

'', performing stunts including: running through 2x4s bursting into flames and running into an 8-foot wall of ice head and shoulders first. Host

Piers Morgan Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; né O'Meara; born 30 March 1965) is a British broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality. He began his Fleet Street career in 1988 at ''The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun''. In 1994, aged 29, he was ...

remarked, "You must be bonkers." The team was not selected to go on to the semi-finals. They also appeared during ''

The American Bible Challenge ''The American Bible Challenge'' is an American biblical-themed television game show created by Game Show Network. The series is hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, with gospel musician Kirk Franklin joining Foxworthy as co-host and announcer in t ...

'' on GSN. An animation Power Team appeared on ''

American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Since 2014, the series has been airing new episodes on TBS. ''American Dad!'' is the first television ...

'' during season 15, in the "Railroaded" episode.

Documentary

In 2004, an independent team of documentary filmmakers began filming The Power Team. The film, titled "Born Again: The Power Team Story", chronicles the 30-year history of the team. It details the familial, emotional, spiritual and physical sacrifices they make to preach the gospel. It was directed by Matthew Luem, produced by James L Reid & Scarlett Lam, filmed by Chaz Zelus, and written by Greg Fiering. The feature-length documentary was slated for release in 2015. However, as of May 2018, the film has not yet been released.

Media

*''John Jacobs & The Power Team'' – 1990

Frontline Records Frontline Records was a Christian rock record label, founded in 1986 by James Kempner in Santa Ana, California. The label focused primarily on modern rock, rap, dance-pop and hip-hop. The label closed in the early 1990s, and then resurfaced in 2 ...

, 1 hour VHS video (V09085) *''John Jacobs & The Power Team'' – 1990 Frontline Records, CD (CD09085) & Cassette (C09085)

References

External links

*
Official documentary website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Power Team, The Organizations based in Dallas Evangelical organizations America's Got Talent contestants American artist groups and collectives 1970s establishments in Texas Christianity in Texas