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Richard Rossi

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Template:BLPC Richard Rossi (b. March 2 1963, Pittsburgh, PA,) is an American filmmaker, actor, producer, musician, and healing evangelist.

Early years

The son of Richard Rossi Sr., a professional jazz guitarist. As a teenager, his father was put into a mental institution for a bipolar disorder, which by all accounts devastated Rossi. Turning to religion, he became a born-again Christian, and toured as a rock and roll preacher, usually in tandem with songwriting partner Johnny Walker, playing a unique brand of gospel rock. He was featured on The 700 Club and in the CBS documentary Teen's Songs Turn Youth to God. His music from this period was released on the album New Wine.

Ministries

Rossi moved to Lynchburg, Virginia at age 18 to study at Liberty University, where he earned a Bachelors and Master's degree in Biblical Studies. He married his classmate Sherrie Plaugher on May 11, 1984. In his senior year, he started his first church, "The Fellowship," which became a subject of controversy for faith healings, exorcisms, and speaking in tongues, practices frowned upon by the University.

His second church, created with partner Jack Sims, was called "Matthew's Party", the name taken from the biblical story about Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners at the home of Matthew, the gospel writer. In 1986, Rossi started First Love, a charismatic church. He rented movie theaters and showed films as an evangelistic outreach. Dramatic faith healings allegedly occurred. In April 1991, Rossi reportedly suffered depression.

In September 1991, Rossi began broadcasting his nightly radio show Rich Rossi Live, reportedly drawing opposition from established clergy, who said the miraculous signs and wonders the press reported were not biblical, because "healing miracles were unique to Christ and the Twelve Apostles to authenticate their message, and had not occurred since the first century." (Pittsburgh Press, July 11, 1990, Megan O'Matz, "Rock Assuages.") Rossi was criticized by other clerics for his use of rock and roll music, his casual attire, and his criticism of conventional Christianity. (Pittsburgh Press, "Rock Assuages," 7/11/1990)

In September 1992, Rossi purchased airtime on the local Pittsburgh FOX TV affiliate to broadcast his self-produced documentary Quest for Truth, which examined the reported healings and exorcisms in his meetings.

Attack

In 1994, Rossi's wife allegedly identified him as an attacker who beat her nearly to death. Ann Rodgers Melnick, a Pittsburgh Press reporter, started a story that Rossi claimed his wife's assailant was not him but a demonic doppelgänger and that the incident was a Satanic counterattack prompted by Rossi's work as an exorcist. Other sources, however, indicated that Rossi was motivated to kill his wife because he was having an extramarital affair. This was later disproven at his trial.

Sherrie Rossi, reportedly pressured by Rossi's family and congregation, later recanted her original story, testifying in court that the assailant had not been her husband. Richard Rossi was charged with attempted murder, but his trial ended in a hung jury because three jurors believed the evidence constituted reasonable doubt. Though maintaining his innocence, Rossi was allowed to plead no contest to second-degree aggravated assault and served 96 days in jail. In 1996, Sherrie Rossi self-published Assault of Justice: The Richard Rossi Mystery, defending her husband from various tabloid stories and proclaiming his innocence. A press release alleged Rossi was innocent based on physical evidence and the testimony of eyewitnesses.

According to Rossi, he left the evangelical subculture, and released the alternative rock album Full Circle. Again according to Rossi, the album was criticized by evangelical Christians because it was confessional about his depression and struggles, with metaphors rather than explicit religious content. Rossi also alleges he was rejected by some of his evangelical former fans because he performed the new material in bars, nightclubs, and mainstream concert venues, often with rock and jazz musicians. Rossi commented, "Hollywood is more forgiving than the church."

Hollywood

In 1997, Rossi relocated to Hollywood. He first role was in the 1998 short film Jesus 2000. In 1998, he appeared in a stage version of Elmer Gantry.

At the time of his production of "Elmer Gantry," Rossi was pastor of Immanuel Community Church in Long Beach; the church mounted the play. In 1999, six trustees of the church filed a civil lawsuit against Rossi, accusing him of "illegally changing the church bylaws, defrauding the church of $15,000, and concealing his criminal record." He was illegally fired. Rossi was eventually vindicated, and the Christian Times reported the church was seized, its locks changed, and Rossi defamed because a minority group disagreed with his outreach ministry and biblical beliefs. Rossi won the legal battle, and the group was ordered to pay Rossi a settlement.

He started house churches for actors and celebrities, operating under the name "Eternal Grace."

In 2001, Rossi wrote and directed Saving Sister Aimee, a short documentary film about 1920's evangelist Aimee McPherson. The film won the Golden Halo Award from the Southern California Motion Picture Council.

In 2005, Rossi revisited Sister Aimee's story in the feature biopic Aimee Semple McPherson starring actress Mimi Michaels as Aimee, and Rance Howard as Aimee's father James Kennedy. Christianity Today and Charisma magazine praised the film , but many criticized it for trying to create a period piece on a small budget.

References

  • Lindsey, Gina, "Aimee Semple McPherson: The Controversy Continues," InMag, October 2006
  • Miller, Madelyn, "Aimee Semple McPherson: Finally A Film", TravelLady Magazine, April 17 2006
  • Donnally, Ed, "Filmmaker Tells Story Of Wounded Healer", Charisma Magazine, October 2005
  • "Sister's Story", Ministries Today Magazine, Nov/Dec. 2005
  • Griffiths, Lawn, "Finding Sister Aimee", East Valley Tribune, August 27 2005
  • Sailhamer, Sue, "Filmmaker Pursues Controversial side of Denomination Founder", Christian Examiner, November 2004
  • Smith, David, "Elmer Gantry Play A Big Hit In Long Beach", Bixby Beat, November 1998
  • Overshine, Gordon, "Preacher Lands Ironic Role", Tribune Review, April 3 1998
  • Root, Douglas, "The Richard Rossi Case with Doug Root", Pittsburgh Magazine, May 1995
  • Rossi, Sherrie; Assault of Justice. Amazon, 1995
  • Melnick, Ann Rodgers, "The Preacher and The Demons", Pittsburgh Post Gazette, July 31, 1994
  • Tipping, Emily, "Putting God Into Rock and Roll", Butler Eagle, June 8 1994
  • Bender, Jim, "In the Name of Jesus Christ You will Be Healed!", North Journal, 17 December 1992
  • "Third Great Awakening", Ministries Today Magazine, May/June 1992
  • Hickling, Cathy, "Rich Rossi During PM Drivetime", Expression Magazine. November 1991
  • Melnick, Ann Rodgers, "Revivalist Accuses Rivals Of Selling Out For Money, Fame", Pittsburgh Post Gazette, October 20, 1991
  • O'Matz, Megan, "Rock Assuages", Pittsburgh Press, 7/11/90
  • Smart, Gil, "Area Pastor Says Faith Healing Real", Cranberry Review Journal, 6/20/1990
  • Bennett, Marcia, "Their Faith Beats the Odds", Post Gazette, Fall, 1982
  • Guydon, Linda, "Singing Poets Spread Gospel", Post Gazette, Spring, 1981
  • Stackowitz, Grace, "Teens Songs Reflect Positive Outlook", North Hills News Record, November 1980

Discography

  • "Ballad of Johnny Walker" (Aircraft Records, 1982)
  • "New Wine" (SisArt Music Audio Cassette, 1993)
  • "Live At Graffiti's" (SisArt LiveConcert VHS Cassette), 1994
  • "Full Circle" (Eternal Grace Records cassette, 1996)
  • "Richard Rossi Raw" (Eternal Grace Records, Five Cassette Anthology, 1998)
  • "Songs of Worship" (Eternal Grace Records, 2002)
  • "More Heaven" (Eternal Grace Records, 2007)

Filmography

  • "Aimee Semple McPherson:aka Sister Aimee:The Aimee Semple McPherson Story" (Maverick Entertainment, 2006)
  • "Judy" (2005)
  • "Saving Sister Aimee" (2001)
  • "Jesus 2000" (1998)
  • "Quest for Truth" (1992)
  • "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh" (1979)

External links

Notes

  1. ^ Donnally, Ed (October 2005). "Filmmaker Tells Story of 'Wounded Healer'". Charisma. Retrieved 2007-07-31. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. http://www.tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2006/10/my_history_of_t.html Self-published source.
  3. http://www.gospelnotes.postkiwi.com/?cat=1 Self-published source.
  4. http://www.crystalinks.com/doppelganger.html
  5. http://www.langston.com/Fun_People/1994/1994BET.html
  6. ^ Norman, Tony (1999-08-31). "The Rich Rossi Project". Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2007-07-31. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ http://ffrf.org/fttoday/1995/november95/newsnotes.html
  8. http://www.ntskeptics.org/1995/1995march/march1995.htm
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