It is a rare day when Hollywood recognizes the achievements of anyone outside of its elite circle, much less anyone with a faith-based message.
However, the Melashenko Family recently received the “Golden Star Halo Award” from the Southern California Motion Picture Council (SCMPC) for their inspiring two-hour musical docu-drama, “God’s Leading Through the Generations.”
Since 1936, the SCMPC has recognized and awarded many of Hollywood’s most well-known celebrities. This organization prides itself in being the conservative watchdog of Hollywood, and one of its highest goals is to encourage and award documentaries, musicals and films that are family-oriented, wholesome and uplifting.
For more than 40 years, the Melashenko Family has been performing for audiences all over the world with their Christ-centered music, and is well known in many Christian communities, but certainly not in the secular world of Hollywood.
Parents Joe and Anne Melashenko raised their five sons on the wheat fields of Saskatchewan, Canada. Music has always been an important part of their heritage. Even as toddlers, the boys were singing in four-part harmony.
Pastor Joedy Melashenko is known for sharing a music ministry with his wife Judy. They are the leaders of short-term evangelism and medical/dental mission trips for high school and college youth. Joedy is youth evangelism coordinator and works with The Quiet Hour’s DoorWays radio and Windows of Hope television series.
Pastor Lonnie Melashenko is the speaker for The Voice of Prophecy radio broadcasts heard worldwide, and has held evangelistic series broadcast on satellite.
The singing family has performed for large crowds and has recorded several audio and video albums of their music, which has a Southern Gospel feel to it.
“God’s Leading Through the Generations” is a two-hour musical docu-drama that traces the Melashenko’s rich Russian-Ukrainian heritage. Recently, the family traveled back to their roots in Canada and relived many of the nostalgic moments of their past. All of this was captured on film by Christian producer Cory Patrick Brown, who was also awarded for his role as producer.
Barbara Anne Evans, vice president of SCMPC, presented the “Golden Star Halo Award,” the most prestigious SCMPC award, to Joedy and Judy Melashenko, executive producers, at a gala awards luncheon in Studio City. She remarked, “Every family in America needs to see this film. It will bring healing into our homes. It is the missing ingredient in so many families!”
In this era when many traditional family values are being challenged by our secular society, it is encouraging to see God’s hand opening doors so that many inside the secular world of Hollywood can appreciate and see, first-hand, what a blessing traditional families of faith can be to our society.
