The Story of Media Change

In 2003 a missionary spoke at a little church in Franklin TN called Faith Community Church. Joshua MacLeod (the founder of Media Change) and his wife Sarah were attending Faith Community and were benefitted greatly by the teachings and ministry of its pastor Bernie Anderson (now a missionary in Mongolia). The missionary challenged the congregation to consider a Watermelon Seed. “If you eat a Watermelon seed, will it grow a watermelon?”, he asked. “Or does the Watermelon seed need to be planted in the ground to bear fruit?”. The text for the sermon was John 12:24

“Truly truly, I say to you, unless a grain of what falls to the earth and dies it remains alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life in this world will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My name sake will keep it. If anyone serves me he must follow Me and where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves me the Father will honor him.” – John 12:24

The missionary likened eating a Watermelon seed to “consuming your gifts and talents on yourself,” and planting a seed in the ground to “giving your all to Jesus”. Only one path leads to fruit for eternity. This passage and message was the catalyst the moved Joshua MacLeod to leave his successful career as a litigation media consultant to start a ministry called Watermelon Ministries. Watermelon Ministries is the parent non-profit of Media Change.

From 2004-2011, Joshua visited 14 countries in the developing world studying the global Church, discipleship, and how to use creative media to serve. After seven years of learning and serving, God brought together a talented team of creative artists and storytellers to build Media Change.