Matthew Webb, an award-winning professor at Huntington University, shares his story.

By Jonathan Wagner, Staff Writer

Matthew Webb, instructor of film production at Huntington University, was born in Texas and grew up right here in Huntington. He was also a student who graduated from Huntington University, along with his younger siblings. He then worked in Haiti for three years and in Los Angeles for 12 years before moving back to Huntington to teach in 2016.

Webb grew up in the Church of God, located in Anderson, Ind. and was introduced to the United Brethren Church during his time as a student at Huntington University. He was baptized in a United Brethren church, and he and his wife served as Mission Coordinators for Good Shepherd UB Church in Huntington for a time.

While in California, Webb was introduced to the Evangelical Covenant Church. One thing that he particularly likes about the ECC is their focus on what unites Christians, rather than what separates them. He has six affirmations that are foundational for the Christian faith, and he views all else as unnecessarily divisive.

Webb said this about the differences in Christian beliefs: “While [it’s] worth engaging in rich theological dialogue, these issues should not divide us.”

Webb has his BA in theatre from Huntington University, a Master of Arts in theology and art (film) from Fuller Theological Seminary, and is currently finishing his Master of Fine Arts in film and television production at Asbury University.

He’s worked on a handful of alt-rock and rockabilly music videos, made the multi-award winning short film “Weathered,” served as the 1st assistant director on the feature film “Not That Funny,” produced the 8-part series “Praying the Hours,” and is currently working on a feature documentary titled Gen Z.

Webb was also recently honored with the Best of Festival Award for faculty scriptwriting by the Broadcast Education Association for his feature screenplay, Sleepwalker. It is an action-comedy film about an anxiety-ridden mattress salesman with a sleepwalking disorder who turns to hypnotherapy to save his marriage. He later learns that his therapist is manipulating him to commit crimes in his sleep.

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event was canceled, and Webb was not able to receive his award in person, though he is still thankful for the honor.

Finally, a small bit of the advice Webb would like to give is this: “In a strange season of upheaval and uncertainty across the whole campus, I would encourage students, staff, and faculty to remember that God calls us to not make decisions out of fear but to recognize that when we are weak, God’s power is shown to be strong (2 Cor 12). We can bear witness to that strength to others, encouraging them, lifting them up, and not letting the fears of the world dictate our hearts, minds, words or actions. God calls us to have courage, not in ourselves, but in God and God’s power at work within us.”