Ken Anderson (filmmaker)

Ken Anderson (December 23, 1917 – March 12, 2006) was an American Baptist minister, screenwriter, director and producer of Christian films. He is most well remembered for founding Gospel Films and directing Pilgrim's Progress, a 1978 adaptation of The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, which marked the first screen appearance for actor Liam Neeson. Anderson wrote 77 fiction and non-fiction books over six decades, including the best-seller Where to Find It in the Bible. He was the first editor for Youth for Christ magazine, which came to be known as Ignite Your Faith.

Early life
Anderson was born in Rembrandt, Iowa. His mother died during childbirth, due to which Anderson was raised by his father and paternal grandmother. In 1938, he married Doris Ilene Jones (1918-2013). Anderson studied at Wheaton College and Trinity International University in Illinois, later joining the Evangelical Free Church as a pastor. He preached in churches in Isle, Minnesota, and later in Newman Grove, Nebraska. In 1944, he became the first full-time editor for Ignite Your Faith magazine, then known as Youth For Christ, through which he met Robert Pierce. In 1948, under Pierce's guidance, he traveled through China as a missionary.

Career
In 1949, Anderson founded Gospel Films, which grew into the world's largest distributor of Christian films. In 1961, he and his wife Doris left to form Ken Anderson Films, a for-profit company that eventually released over 200 titles As a pioneer in the field, Anderson directly and indirectly influenced and encouraged many non-profit Christian film company start-ups.

Death
Anderson died of natural causes in Winona Lake outside of Warsaw, Indiana.

Director

 * 1961: The Family That Changed the World
 * 1964: In His Steps
 * 1965: Man of Steel
 * 1969: Journey to the Sky
 * 1972: The Gospel According to Most People
 * 1979: Pilgrim's Progress
 * 1979: Christiana
 * 1981: Hudson Taylor
 * 1982: The Answer
 * 1984: Fanny Crosby
 * 1984: Mud, Sweat and Cheers
 * 1986: Mark of the Red Hand
 * 1986: Second Step

Producer

 * 1972: The Gospel According to Most People
 * 1981: Hudson Taylor
 * 1984: Fanny Crosby

Writer

 * 1964: In His Steps
 * 1974: Apache Fire
 * 1979: Pilgrim's Progress
 * 1979: Christiana
 * 1981: Hudson Taylor