- The Power Team
The Power Team is a group of
Christian Evangelists, based inDallas, Texas , who incorporate their preaching with displays of strength andmartial arts skills. They were founded in the late 1970s by John Jacobs. [cite book | title=God in the Stadium: Sports and Religion in America | first=Robert J. | last=Higgs | page=10 | isbn=0813108535 | publisher=University Press of Kentucky | year=1995 | url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=QDYw6YBqU1QC ] Their performances, usually taped at largemegachurch es, were broadcast on TBN and other Christian television stations in the United States in the late 1980s.History
The Power Team often conducts performances in venues such as schools, to encourage audiences from outside
church communities. As performances in public schools could not discuss religion, these performances instead promote social responsibility and abstention from drugs and alcohol. [cite news | url=http://www.newsvirginian.com/wnv/entertainment/people/article/the_power_team_has_a_mighty_message_for_todays_students/26772/ | publisher="The News Virginian " | accessdate=2008-09-24 | date=August 26 ,2008 | first=Gina | last=Farthing | title=The Power Team has a mighty message for today’s students] In 1999, The Power Team portrayed themselves in "The Principal" episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger " to motivate a high school of wayward students. [cite web | url=http://www.tv.com/walker-texas-ranger/the-principal/episode/4439/summary.html | publisher=TV.com | title=Walker, Texas Ranger: The Principal | accessdate=2008-09-24 ] [cite web | url=http://www.picayune-times.com/editionlist.heitml?pubname=picayune&pubdate=2000-04-12&txt=t | publisher="Nevada County Picayune" | accessdate=2008-09-24 | date=April 12 ,2000 | title=Power Team Invading PHS For Two Shows] Power Team leader John Jacobs divorced his wife, Ruthanne in May 2000. In 2002 the Power Team filed for bankruptcy protection. [cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2002/09/02/tidbits.html|title=Power Outage, Dallas Business Journal, 30 August 2002] Jacobs resigned from the the Power Team organization inMay 7 ,2003 . [cite web|url=http://www.srjmarketing.com/newsroom/1030801174035.html|title=SRJ Launches New Company for Power Team Founder John Jacobs] The Power Team's President as of 2008 is Todd Keene, a long-time member of the ministry. [ [http://www.thepowerteam.com/team.html The Power Team: Team] ]TV Appearances
The Power Team briefly appeared in a July 22, 2008 episode of
America's Got Talent . The team could be seen performing stunts including running through flames, to be extinguished by other Power Team members standing nearby. HostPiers Morgan remarked, "You must be mad." The team was not selected to go on to the semi-finals.Fact|date=September 2008See also
Further reading
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* [http://www.redwhiteandblue.org/christian/plstexts/TEAM.HTM Critical review by Phil Scovell of a Power Team performance]
* [http://www.gojefferson.com/banner/opinion/foust/powerteam/index.html Five Jefferson County (Wisconsin) public school districts cancel Power Team assemblies]References
External links
* [http://www.thepowerteam.com/ Official website]
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