'The Chosen' Is Opening Doors to the Gospel in Villages Around the World: 'It's Not Just a Show'
For many viewers in America, "The Chosen" is an inspirational series to binge from the comfort of the couch. But for a growing number of Kenyans, it’s becoming a doorway to the gospel.
The Come and See Foundation — the ministry behind "The Chosen" — is partnering with another Christian nonprofit, the Bucket Ministry, to spread the gospel around the world through a unique initiative that provides individuals and families with clean water alongside the living water of the gospel.
“It’s not just a show,” Vickie Reddy, regional director of ministry engagement with Come and See, told Crosswalk Headlines.
“Our mission at Come and See with 'The Chosen' is to take viewers of the show and turn them into disciples of Jesus,” she added. “We're partnering with people who are on the ground —day in, day out —and doing the work of discipleship.”
The partnership is changing lives in more than a dozen countries. In Kenya, it is working through ministries affiliated with the Bucket Ministry that distribute water filters to every household in a village and, through the relationships, show clips of "The Chosen" to spark conversations about the gospel.
“Over 2 billion people around the world lack access to safely managed drinking water. That equates to about 27 percent of the world,” Christopher Beth, founder and president of the Bucket Ministry, told Crosswalk Headlines.
“Most of us in the Western world have had a privilege that we don't even realize we've had —we can go to our refrigerator and put a cup underneath a filter that gives us clean, safe drinking water. The majority of the world does not have that same access. The majority of the world thinks that having upset stomachs from drinking unclean water is normal. They think that children dying early is normal, and the reality is, it doesn't have to be.”
Everyone in a village—whether they respond to the gospel or not—can keep the filter, Beth emphasized. "The Chosen," he said, opens the door for individuals to hear stories from the gospel brought to life in their own language.
“The missionaries will often ask, ‘Is it okay if we teach you a lesson?’ People might not pay attention to the words of your mouth, but once you turn on a 10-inch tablet, and you start showing them a clip from 'The Chosen'—like the woman at the well — and all their eyes immediately are tracking when it's in their own heart language. So you can start to see people just really engage in God's Word where they weren't before.”
Other times, entire episodes are shown—as happened recently at a partner church in southern Kenya.
“Some of them walked for hours in the bush to get there to watch this,” Beth said. “Being able to see their faces was just beautiful because they were glued to the screen.”
Missionaries are discovering that the show can make an immediate impact. In Mexico, for example, a missionary entered a home and showed a clip from "The Chosen"—and was immediately invited back.
“The very first thing [the homeowner] asked after watching that clip was, ‘When can you come back and show me another one?’” Beth said.
“It doesn't matter if it's Latin America, Asia or Africa. That sentiment is widespread all over the world.”
Photo Credit: ©TheBucketMinistry
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published October 01, 2026.
