Local filmmaker aims to show library board debate in documentary

Aug. 6—The controversy surrounding the appointment of members to the St. Joseph Public Library board will soon be coming to the screen.

R.J. Jackson worked with the media team as an attendee for the church where the controversy began. Grace Calvary Chapel, whose pastor has been a leader in the campaign against the reappointment of an openly gay member to the board, is filming a documentary about the debate.

"I think this documentary is going to be important to our community because a lot of people need to realize that the culture wars are not happening just on Capitol Hill," Jackson said. "There's these kinds of acts of oppression and acts of discrimination are happening all around us all the time."

Jackson said his film, titled "And Justice For All," will take a look at the debate that started when Josh Blevins, a pastor at Grace Calvary Chapel, posted on Facebook about his concerns on the reappointment of Brian Kirk, an openly gay pastor of First Christian Church, to the St. Joseph Public Library Board of Trustees.

Jackson, a producer and director, said he felt moved to make the film due to his former association with Grace Calvary.

"People always think of (discrimination) as being just a far-off thing," Jackson said. "And some people only think of discrimination in terms of things like hate crimes and stuff like that. And it's really not the case at all. It's just normal, everyday people that are being discriminated against."

Kirk's position on the board has technically expired, but given the situation, all appointments to city board positions have been stalled, so for now, his fate on the board of trustees is undetermined.

Jackson said he will continue to follow and document this story, however, the expenses to produce and film were higher than he initially expected. To help fund the project, Jackson and his team set up a GoFundMe account.

"This situation has grown so immensely that this needs the kind of budget to do justice to this story and to myself as a filmmaker and trying to establish St. Joseph as a place where incredible stories can be told," Jackson said.