Dallas Jenkins' Candid Response to Controversy, 'The Chosen' Legacy, and the Biggest Lesson He's Learned

The creator of “The Chosen,” the hit TV show about Jesus and his followers, hopes the series’ lasting legacy is one focused on helping people know and “love Jesus more.”

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“We’re seeing people all over the world [who are] telling us, ‘I know Jesus more. I love Jesus more. I’m reading my Bible more than ever because of the show,'” creator and director Dallas Jenkins told CBN News. “If that continues, there’s nothing greater than that.”

Jenkins, who spoke Sunday on the red carpet at the KLOVE Fan Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, also addressed some of the lessons he’s learned while making “The Chosen” over the past seven years.

“The biggest lesson is surrender always needs to come before positive or negative moments in your life,” he said. “I think if I would not have been forced by God to surrender to Him, I don’t think I would have been ready for something like this, both the positive and the negative, because I cared what people thought of me.”

Jenkins continued, “And, so, it becomes really a superpower when you stop caring what people think and you care more about what God thinks.”

This shift in perspective, he said, has helped him navigate the ups and downs — and praise and criticisms — that have come along with the monumental success of “The Chosen.” Ultimately, Jenkins said he hopes people continue to hold the show to its biblical roots.

“I hope that people like you — friends and fans — will keep us accountable to that,” he said.

As for controversies that have occasionally popped up around “The Chosen,” Jenkins has generally been remarkably outspoken and transparent, taking to Facebook and social media to speak out and address questions and concerns. That kind of openness brings with it its own complexities.

“Sometimes it’s frustrating, because you wish you didn’t have to defend something or talk about something that you think maybe is unfair,” he said. “But, at the same time, I always see it now as an opportunity. These are important conversations. We’re talking about Jesus. We’re talking about the Savior of the world.”

Jenkins said these tough conversations and discussions can sometimes be an “opportunity to hopefully show people a different way of conversing.” Rather than “hateful” or “tribal,” he said these interactions and decisions to address topics can be constructive.

Season four of “The Chosen” took home the Film Impact honor at this year’s KLOVE Fan Awards.