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BROCK GILL

Artist: Brock Gill Illusionist Watch Video

Off the stage, Brock’s "close-up magic" draws crowds of people from the street, the beach, or the campus, again breaking down apathetic barriers to the message of the gospel. Many churches, organizations, and colleges have requested Brock for their most evangelical efforts. Brock Gill’s rapport with young people is a fresh influence against the world’s aggression of premarital sex, student violence, and paralyzed mediocrity.

Illusionist Brock Gill struggles to free himself from a water-filled coffin during a performance in Oklahoma City. Gill mixes illusions with a Gospel message in an effort to communicate with his teenage audience.

Magic and evangelical ministry. These may seem like opposing terms, but for Brock Gill they are an intimate part of his life. Touring the United States and other parts of the world, Brock has brought the message of Christ’s hope and love to his audiences by using an unusual avenue- magic and illusions. "My whole Christian life I had a desire to find creative way to share my faith," Gill explains. "My friend took me to a magic shop and showed me a couple of tricks. I immediately fell in love with it. That was about 7 years ago, and I only had a couple years of college behind me. But I felt like God was saying do a magic show. So I put my energy and focus on it and I started doing shows."

Gill’s show is geared toward teens, but parents are in the audience too. He combines many elements of pop culture style- Christian rock music, motorcycles, stunts and escapes. During his 90 minute show he makes a girl disappear/reappear, makes it snow, performs an escape trick involving a windowed coffin and water, and rides a motorcycle while he’s blindfolded and duct-taped. [this is only part of his repertoire, and he might not do all of these tricks in every show] An adrenaline filled performance to be sure, but one with an overriding message: there is a bigger hope. "I want them (teens) to hear there is hope. That they don't have to take drugs, alcohol, and have sex. I just want people to know they have a choice." He also wants audiences to hear how his life was changed by his faith.

Where does Gill see himself and his ministry in five years? He definitely has high aspirations. "I'd like to see us doing large outreaches; creating a new box," he says. "The Billy Graham organization decided years ago they were going to do big outreaches in stadiums. I would like to see that as well, but more relevant to our culture, meaning not churchy. Instead of a guy behind the pulpit in a suit in tie--not that there is anything wrong with that—it will be me doing stunts, escapes, illusions, along with rock-n-roll bands performing. Kind of a Tony Hawk-Cirque de Soleil-David Copperfield thing. In five years I'd like to see it being one of the biggest things going on."

Gill has two important pieces of advice for anyone wanting to get involved in entertainment ministry. "Get ready to work hard," he says. "It's a lot of long hours. Sacrifice and be prepared. Also, anyone who wants to do evangelism, fall in love with God first. Don't wait (until a performance) to be real."

VIDEO: Illusionist Brock Gill on his coffin escape.