Bringing Scripture to Life: Gregory Bado’s Global Role in SOWIM’s Old Testament Film Series

-Hannah Blake

As dawn breaks over the hills of Jerusalem, a film crew sets up amid ancient stone ruins. At the center of the action is production manager Gregory Bado, carefully coordinating cameras and crew to capture the perfect shot. Gregory isn’t just filming another travel documentary; he’s helping a California-based Christian nonprofit turn the Old Testament into an immersive visual experience, one high-budget educational documentary at a time. In partnership with Spring of Water International Ministries (SOWIM), Gregory has emerged as a key force behind a unique series of Bible films that span continents and centuries in their storytelling.

A Unique Mission in Faith and Film

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in California, SOWIM is a Christian NGO with a bold mission: to produce multimedia Bible study films that bring Scripture to life for today’s audiences. Each high-quality documentary focuses on a specific book of the Old Testament, with plans to cover the New Testament in the future, blending visual storytelling with scholarly insight. These aren’t dry lecture videos; they are cinematic journeys through biblical history. Footage is filmed on location at the very sites where biblical events unfolded, from the streets of Jerusalem to the deserts of the Holy Land.

The films weave together historical retrospectives, expert interviews, and even high-quality animated segments to illuminate the context of the Scriptures. “Through carefully produced high-quality visuals and relatable visual storytelling, we bring the timeless wisdom of the Bible to life, touching the hearts of the new generation,” SOWIM’s production team noted, emphasizing an innovative approach that bridges ancient truth with modern audiences.

At the heart of this vision is Rev. Susan S. Chen, SOWIM’s founder and president. A dynamic spiritual leader and educator, Susan is the driving force behind all of SOWIM’s projects. She serves not only as an executive producer but also as the lead narrator in the organization’s most recent films, guiding viewers through scriptures with pastoral warmth. Under her leadership, SOWIM has produced biblical study materials and films in multiple languages, Chinese, English, Spanish, Arabic, “for the edification and maturing of all those who seek the Lord”. Chen’s passion for sharing God’s Word has taken the SOWIM team across the globe, filming in the Middle East and beyond. From Pakistan and Egypt to Latin America and East Asia, she and her colleagues have tirelessly worked to sow the seeds of faith through media. “Churches and mission fields in 38 countries around the world are using the multimedia Bible study materials and films published by SOWIM,” Chen proudly reported in a recent testimony. In 2021, SOWIM even released all its Bible study films on YouTube for free, ensuring that God’s word can be spread farther and wider across borders.

On Location in the Holy Land: Gregory’s Leading Role

Amid this ambitious undertaking, Gregory Bado has played a pivotal role in turning SOWIM’s vision into reality. Gregory, an experienced cinematographer known for projects like Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown, was brought on board to manage production for two of SOWIM’s most recent Old Testament films. In these projects, Gregory effectively served in a leading capacity, orchestrating complex international shoots from planning to wrap-up. His primary task: coordinate filming in Israel, the heart of the biblical narrative, to capture authentic footage for the films’ dramatic reenactments and historical segments.

Filming biblical stories on-site in Israel is both a logistical challenge and a creative boon, and Gregory embraced both aspects. He arranged shoots at sacred and historical locations, navigating local regulations, weather, and cultural sensitivities so that each frame would carry the weight of authenticity. “I wanted to be a silent witness, and that is cinematography,” Gregory has said of his approach behind the camera. That ethos served him well on the SOWIM sets. Rather than calling attention to himself, he focused on quietly capturing the grandeur of biblical landscapes and the human emotion of re-enacted scenes, allowing the story to shine.

His leadership was tested and proven on the ground. Capturing the moments required technical know-how, diplomatic skill, and calm under pressure. Gregory demonstrated these qualities throughout the shoot. “Craft lies in structure, in creating narrative clarity... in when and how information is revealed,” Gregory noted, describing the art of documentary filmmaking. In SOWIM’s films, his craft helped piece together sweeping aerial shots of holy sites with intimate interviews and animations, yielding a narrative clarity that makes ancient scripture accessible to modern viewers.

From California to Persecuted Communities Worldwide

Beyond the lights and cameras, the impact of SOWIM’s Bible films resonates in communities far from the California studios or Israeli locations. The completed documentaries, released as part of SOWIM’s Bible Study Video Series, are distributed globally as educational tools for churches, small groups, and individual viewers. In particular, these films have become a lifeline for believers in under-resourced and persecuted Christian communities around the world. Based on SOWIM’s experience, a high-quality visual Bible study can reach those whom traditional ministry might not: The films offer a unique opportunity for believers in Third World countries, where Christians face persecution, to have visual and easy-to-understand educational materials in their native languages.

In places like rural Pakistan, where owning a Bible can draw dangerous attention, a DVD or online video in the local language allows congregations to learn from Scripture more freely. In the Middle East, Cairo’s only Christian seminary has adopted SOWIM’s multimedia Bible study materials to train seminary students, church staff, and missionaries. Such stories illustrate how the films Gregory helped produce are more than just educational media; they are bridges connecting isolated believers with the broader Christian story.

For Gregory Bado, this global impact is what makes the long hours of production and the international travel worth it. Each time he sees a new report of a remote church using the videos, whether in a South Asian village or a North African refugee camp, he’s reminded of the project’s higher purpose. “Wherever you look, there is untouched ground, an endless field for discovering something new,” Gregory said of his journey in filmmaking. In the field of faith-based media, he has found fertile ground indeed.

Storytelling in Service of a Greater Vision

As SOWIM moves forward, its projects continue to grow in scope. The latest production, focusing on the Book of Proverbs, is currently underway and slated for release. This upcoming film promises to fuse practical wisdom with creative visuals, in the words of SOWIM’s producers, “connecting God’s eternal wisdom with the realities of everyday struggles”. It’s a fitting description of SOWIM’s overarching goal: to make ancient truths relevant and alive for today’s world. And it underscores the need for skilled storytellers like Gregory Bado to execute that vision.

Gregory’s contributions as production manager have not only ensured these films meet a high professional standard but have also supported SOWIM’s international outreach in a tangible way. “Expand into multiple languages, generating global impact,” reads one guiding principle of the Proverbs project, a principle Gregory helped fulfill by coordinating bilingual crews and local experts during the shoots. His background in both journalism and cinematography prepared him uniquely for this role, blending editorial insight with technical expertise. According to SOWIM’s leadership, Gregory essentially took a leading role in making the recent productions possible, showcasing creative problem-solving and a commitment to the mission that went above and beyond the usual call of duty.

Gregory Bado’s story is one of convergence: the convergence of talent and calling, of cinematic art and spiritual education. In an age of abundant content but often shallow messaging, Gregory has lent his skills to create media with depth, films that educate, inspire, and uplift. In doing so, he has helped Spring of Water International Ministries carry out its name’s promise: to be a spring of water, spreading life-giving knowledge across even the most arid spiritual landscapes. From California to the Holy Land to remote villages worldwide, Gregory Bado’s work illuminates a path for others to follow, one frame at a time.