Episode 21
Reclaiming Art for God’s Glory
Featuring Rich Garnaat
July 21, 2026
Rich Garnaat, founder and president of Arise Collective Theatre and Cornerstone University’s Alumni of the Year, joins host Gerson Moreno-Riaño on the Wisdom and Influence podcast to discuss the intersection of Christian faith and the arts. Garnaat shares the story behind Arise Collective Theatre, founded in 2019 with his daughter Grace, and its mission to reclaim musical theater and film for God’s glory by producing work of excellence that surpasses worldly standards. The conversation explores the company’s signature production, Pilgrim the Musical, an adaptation of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, along with short films addressing forgiveness and the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Garnaat explains how worship, word, and prayer anchor the team’s discipleship and character development, and recounts powerful ministry moments in Florida prisons where hundreds of inmates responded to the gospel. Listeners will gain a thoughtful perspective on how Christians can engage the arts, use allegory to communicate truth, and pursue creative excellence as an act of worship.