THE GOSPEL BLIMP

THE GOSPEL BLIMP is a famous 1967 satire exposing the wrong way to do Christian evangelism and recommending the right way.

Produced and directed by the late, great Irvin “Shorty” Yeaworth and starring the wonderful Bob O’Donnell, THE GOSPEL BLIMP opens in the back yard of a Christian family discussing with their friends how to win the world for Christ, especially their neighbors next door. When a Navy blimp passes overhead, they get the idea to buy a used blimp and fly over the town with Gospel banners and sometimes dropping Gospel tracts on the citizens. They start a fundraising campaign to buy the blimp. Everyone thinks it’s a great idea, and the commander of the blimp begins to think of himself as a renowned Christian evangelist.

The blimp’s first excursion gets no attention from the citizens and flies a banner saying, “All are sinners,” a sure way not to win friends or influence people. During the second excursion, the plot runs into a flagpole, and the blimp gets stuck between two buildings. On the third excursion, they drop tracts into people’s drinks and on their heads. The fourth one they use loudspeakers, which annoy everybody and send the neighborhood dogs howling.

Meanwhile, George and Ethel, who are concerned about their neighbors, quit the Gospel Blimp ministry and decide to help their neighbors. They visit the wife in the hospital. They bring the husband food. They take the husband fishing.

So, the question is, of course, which is the better evangelism, the Gospel Blimp, which stands for all the shortcomings of mass marketing, or loving your neighbor as yourself.

THE GOSPEL BLIMP has become a cult favorite in Christian circles. The satire is witty, but not mean spirited. The message is encouraging and biblically sound. It’s shot on a very low budget, with no special effects, but still holds up after 50 years. You can now watch THE GOSPEL BLIMP on a DVD titled The Heritage Collection from Christian Movie Classics. It’s well worth the 40 minutes of enjoyable satire.