Kelly Myers is used to working behind the scenes as lead maintenance worker at the Missouri Baptist Convention. The practical needs of the building and its employees — from taking out the trash to plumbing and the parking lot — fall under his purview, and he and his team take care of the building with efficiency and a smile.
While it wouldn’t surprise anyone who knows him that Myers serves and interacts with the people of Jefferson City, some might be surprised to discover one way he does it. On occasion, Myers exchanges working man’s boots and jeans for a costume and a script at the Stained Glass Theatre.
Acting and theatre, according to Myers, isn’t just about having fun: it’s about developing friendships with people from all walks of life. At the Stained Glass Theatre, it’s also about sharing the gospel with actors and with the community.
“We share our prayer concerns weekly, just lifting each other up,” Myers said. “We open and close each show [and rehearsal] with prayer.”
The shows at Stained Glass Theatre are also about serving the community.
“This particular theatre,” Myers said, “is where you can come and see a play and you’re not going to hear anything offensive other than to some, the gospel [might] be offensive.” The plays are clean, meaningful, and “the message of Christ is someway going to be in there.”
If attendees have questions or want to investigate what they’ve heard, there are people ready to talk to them about the gospel.
Family feeling
Growing up a “stone’s throw away” from church, the gospel has always been important to Myers.
He was saved and baptized as a child, but it wasn’t until his sister bought him a Bible that the “Scriptures started coming to life.” As an adult, his spiritual growth blossomed when he became a deacon at Southridge Baptist Church, and it continued to grow stronger through his work environment at the MBC.
While Myers and his wife worked as a team in their service to the church, the same held true when it came to hobbies. He got involved in theatre when his wife, Rhonda, became interested. Myers discovered how fun theatre could be, and people encouraged him, saying “you don’t have to be an outgoing extrovert” to participate.
After watching Rhonda’s first role in a play, he got involved behind the scenes, helping with props. Later, when the director of “It’s a Wonderful Life” had trouble finding someone to play the role of Bert the Cop, all it took was Myers to admit, “I kinda liked that guy in the movie.” That was how he got his very first minor role.
“I just fell in love with everybody [at The Stained Glass Theatre],” Myers said. “You get to be a family, and I loved that feeling. I made new friends.”
Eventually, Myers gathered the courage to try roles with more lines.
He played a “silly” character named Quentin who couldn’t see well because of a recent trip to the eye doctor in a comedy called “Swine Before Pearls.” Myers brought his own creative spin to it during rehearsal by squinting instead of wearing sunglasses, which he’d forgotten at home.
When the director saw it, she said, “You’re going to do that! Don’t bring back the sunglasses.”
It was his first role in a play his wife wasn’t participating in, and Myers says Rhonda “was [his] coach and hero” as she gave him encouragement to learn his lines. When asked what his favorite role has been, Quentin was it.
His most recent role was as a no-nonsense officer, Lieutenant Michael Tinkerton, in the play “Murder for Dummies,” a humorous play that highlighted how a lack of kindness, ungodly thoughts, and the prominence of gossip can sour relationships.
This time, the couple got to act on stage together, and although the greater number of lines was “scary” for Myers, he ended up having fun.
Countering misconceptions
No matter the role, Myers is always able to share “what we are about at Southridge” as he practices his faith through prayer and conversation at rehearsals. He, as well as other Christians, share the messages of Sunday morning sermons in casual conversations about the weekend.
He’s also able to counter some misconceptions about the Missouri Baptist Convention and the SBC when talking to Christians from other denominations. “People drive by and see this huge building, and they go, ‘Well, you all are the headquarters,’” Myers said. “[I say], ‘Well, no, we’re not. We’re servants to the churches. This just happens to be the building we have.’”
With the abundance of community building and fun it offers, theatre will likely be part of the Myers family for some time to come. Myers looks forward to possibly taking on another comedy role in the future.
Myers invites anyone who wants a “safe place” to get into acting to check out Stained Glass Theatre, where the directors are “unapologetically faith-based.”
To learn more, go to www.sgtmidmo.org.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Brianna Boes and originally published by the Pathway.
