After more than two decades of blending ministry, music, and media, the South Carolina filmmaker is bringing his message of faith, personal responsibility, and redemption to the big screen.

For more than two decades, Pastor Jeff Akers has been delivering messages of faith, hope, and personal responsibility. Sometimes from behind a pulpit, other times from behind a television camera.

Now, he’s taking that message to the big screen.

This Saturday, October 17, Akers will celebrate the premiere of CHOICES, a Christian drama and suspense film that he wrote, produced, and co-directed. The film will debut at Spotlight Cinemas Capital 8 in Columbia, bringing together filmmakers, actors, musicians, and audiences for an evening that represents years of creative work.

But for Akers, CHOICES is about something bigger than making a movie.

It’s about using the power of storytelling to encourage people to examine the decisions they make, the consequences that follow, and the possibility of choosing a different direction in life. Choice The Movies

A Pastor With a Passion for Production

Long before CHOICES, Akers was combining ministry with a passion for entertainment and media production.

An ordained minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Akers has held leadership roles in church organizations and international ministries. His experience includes missionary work, church development, leadership training, and multimedia production.

He also serves as senior pastor of I AM CHURCH, an international ministry that uses digital platforms to reach audiences beyond the traditional church setting.

For Akers, technology and media have long been tools for reaching people who might never walk through a church door.

In 2003, he established Inner City Gospel, a faith-based television ministry that grew into a platform for inspirational programming and documentary storytelling.

As director, producer, and co-host, Akers helped develop programming highlighting religious leaders, community organizations, and individuals making a difference.

His work wasn’t limited to telling audiences what people believed. He wanted to show how those beliefs translated into action and affected communities.

It was an early example of an approach that continues to define his creative career: using entertainment to deliver messages with meaning. director

More Than a Man of the Cloth

Akers’ creative résumé extends well beyond religious broadcasting.

Through Jeff Akers Films Network, he has worked on music videos, television commercials, documentaries, short films, and live productions.

His professional biography lists several award-recognized projects, including a 2010 South Carolina Music Award for a Deville Mobstaz music video and recognition for J-Soul’s Hey You at the 2011 Gospel Music Awards.

His television program Inner City Gospel also received a 2008 North Carolina Gospel Announcers Guild nomination.

Beyond the awards, Akers has developed a reputation within his professional network as someone comfortable working across multiple areas of production, from directing and editing to broadcasting and music.

His business has also involved collaborations with other filmmakers and media professionals, demonstrating an entrepreneurial approach to an industry where relationships and shared resources are often essential.

And while his ministry remains an important part of his identity, Akers has never limited his creative interests to traditional religious programming. director

Every Choice Has a Consequence

With CHOICES, Akers brings those experiences together in a feature-length film inspired by the biblical passage Joshua 24:15, which challenges believers to decide whom they will serve.

The story follows two longtime friends whose lives move in different directions. One becomes drawn toward destructive choices, while the other searches for redemption. Their paths eventually intersect with a dangerous criminal, creating a suspenseful story about loyalty, temptation, consequences, and faith.

Although the film carries a Christian message, Akers wants its themes to connect with audiences beyond the church.

In a statement published on the film’s official website, he explains that his intention is to encourage viewers to reflect on their own lives rather than simply judge the characters.

He particularly hopes to reach young people who may feel defined by past mistakes.

As Akers explains, people are not necessarily trapped by their past, but they remain responsible for the decisions they make moving forward.

It’s a message that connects naturally with his years in ministry.

The difference is that this time, the sermon comes with a storyline, a cast, a soundtrack, and a little suspense. Choice The Movies

Bringing the Vision to Life

Turning that message into a feature film required more than inspiration.

Akers partnered with award-winning South Carolina filmmaker Dr. Brandon M. Glover, founder of Out Da Barnz Entertainment, who directed CHOICES.

The two had previously collaborated on Glover’s faith-based feature Son of a Preacher Man.

For CHOICES, Akers took on several responsibilities, including writing, producing, co-directing, casting, editing, and overseeing the film’s musical direction.

Music, another important part of his creative background, plays a significant role in the production. Working with musicians and composers, including Gavin Moore and saxophonist Timothy McGuire Jr., Akers helped develop a soundtrack intended to complement the film’s dramatic moments.

The project also highlights South Carolina’s independent filmmaking community, bringing together regional actors, technicians, and other creative professionals.

The film’s promotional trailer received a Bronze Telly Award in 2025, providing recognition for the production before its theatrical premiere. Choice The Movies

A Message Beyond the Movie Theater

As CHOICES prepares for its Columbia premiere, Akers is already looking beyond opening night.

The filmmakers are inviting churches, colleges, community organizations, and other groups to explore future screenings, hoping the movie will continue generating conversations about faith, relationships, accountability, and personal responsibility.

For Akers, that may ultimately be the greatest measure of the film’s success.

After years of working in ministry, music, broadcasting, and entertainment, he understands that a message doesn’t always have to be delivered from a pulpit to make an impact.

Sometimes it comes through a song. Sometimes through a television program. And sometimes through a movie that leaves audiences thinking long after the credits roll.

CHOICES represents another chapter in a career built around finding creative ways to reach people.

And perhaps that’s what makes Akers’ journey so fitting.

He’s spent much of his life encouraging others to make meaningful choices. Now, through filmmaking, he’s making a choice of his own—to tell stories that entertain, inspire, and perhaps even change the direction of someone’s life.

Publication note: The article is approximately 890 words, excluding the headline, subtitle, and section headings. Akers’ awards and career history are drawn primarily from his published professional biography; his statements about the film’s purpose come from the official CHOICES website.

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