What do the Boy Scouts, a 1958 classic film The Blob, and the end of the world have in common? Ask Russ Doughten. A filmmaker, producer, and distributor, Iowa-native Doughten is best-known for his 1970s A Thief in the Night series depicting the end time events as described in the Bible. But what arguably became one of the most influential Christian rapture films was a long time in the making—not because creating the film was difficult, but because God had to work on Doughten first.
We spoke in a crowded Drake Diner on a Saturday morning. Doughten recounted his life's story slowly, his deep voice carrying over the din of the diner as he carefully pieced together the events that lead him to where he is today. He recalled that, while growing up, he never heard God’s plan for salvation, even though he attended church every single Sunday. “If people believed in Jesus Christ they never communicated it to me," Doughten says. "I went through the belief that it was better to be a good person, but left Christ out of it.”
Everything changed when Doughten, after graduating from Drake University with a drama degree, attended a Bible study. A pastor used Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, and John 3:16 to present the Gospel. Doughten realized for the first time that “good” wasn’t good enough.
The thought of the moments when he was first saved still brought tears to his eyes as he recounted them, as if the memory was still fresh in his mind even though his salvation had occured over 50 years ago. “It was as if each verse had special meaning just for me," he says. "It never sank in until those verses. Then I knew from there, he had a job for me. And that affects all the work I do.”
But he didn’t get into filmmaking right off the bat. Doughten attended Yale to study Christian drama in a graduate program, and he aspired to be a pastor of drama. A resume he sent to Good News Productions, a Christian film company, changed his career path, and when he read a book, Dispensational Truth by Clarence Larkin, Doughten was inspired. “I wanted to reflect the future of mankind. I dreamed of making films about things to come. I felt the Lord telling me to do it but I didn’t know how,” Doughten says.
Doughten delayed his dream as he continued work in both Christian and secular film companies, and at one point produced a project for the Boy Scouts of America to promote their jamborees. A scene included a Boy Scout air raid drill with special effects—a source of inspiration for a feature-length sci-fi film called The Blob. It was Doughten’s first encounter with sci-fi and the start of making his dream reality.
After The Blob, Doughten tried his hand in Hollywood, but when he only found closed doors, he returned to Iowa and started Heartland Productions and Heartland Cinema. Heartland’s initial purpose wasn’t Christ-centered. But when a radio show host approached Doughten with a desire to make a Christian film, Mustard Seed International and Mark IV Pictures were born. By then, Doughten finally felt like the Lord gave him the nerve to make A Thief in the Night. “My goal is to teach people to teach others how to know the Lord," he says. "My films are made for non-believers, so they can see how someone can come to know Christ. A commitment to evangelism is rare among believers. I’m responsible to help people know who Christ is.”
When he made A Thief in the Night, the hope was to reach non-believers through their Christian friends, but Doughten never fully realized the impact the film would have. When shown in churches, the film was able to reach people who had, like Doughten, gone to church their entire life without hearing the Gospel. “We had records of who was showing it, and we would hear reports of thousands who answered altar calls after seeing the film. I was amazed. I don’t claim any responsibility,” he says.
Doughten avoided his dream for many years because he didn’t feel ready or experienced, but the Lord built him up through filmmaking to reach people all over the world with the salvation of Jesus Christ. “The Lord does the major work and we can’t claim it," Doughten says. "At the outset I knew I could not do as I foresaw was necessary. But when we believe, the Holy Spirit is there directing our steps, moment by moment, day by day. I was afraid of making the film before. But now I see there’s no reason to be frightened anymore.”
Doughten continues in his responsibility to share Christ and help others do the same. He is working on a fifth installment of the Thief in the Night series called The Battle of Armageddon. Mustard Seed International also distributes the Share Your Faith Seminar, which helps equip Christians to evangelize and disciple. Doughten’s main purpose has always been to communicate scripture through parables and analogy. His own life could be used as an analogy for how the Lord prepares hearts with his own timing. For young Christians who are waiting on the Lord, Doughten’s advice is to keep eyes and ears open. “The Lord is speaking," he says. "All you have to do is look and listen. You would have to purposely shut off his manifestation. If you don’t become an obstacle, the Lord wants to reveal himself to you.”
