After becoming a famous Hollywood celebrity, Jennifer Garner admitted she stopped going to church. However, that all changed when the actress had an experience that caused her to reject the culture in Tinsel Town and return to church with her kids every Sunday.
Jennifer Garner confessed that she grew up going to church every Sunday, a habit she abandoned when she moved to Los Angeles. “I grew up going to church every Sunday of my life, and when I did move to L.A., it wasn’t something that was just part of the culture in the same way, at least in my life,” Garner said.
Garner’s transformation began when she starred in the film Miracles from Heaven. Garner’s life changed after she decided to play Christy Beam, a mother whose daughter, Annabel, survived a terrifying real-life event in which she was trapped for hours inside a hollowed-out tree.
Christy Beam, who published a book in 2015 titled “Miracles from Heaven,” has frequently talked about her family’s claims that Annabel experienced a series of supposed miracles, including encountering Jesus during the tree ordeal and remarkable healing after her fall. Garner was moved by the Beam family’s story, which touched her deeply.
“There was something about doing this film and talking to my kids about it and realizing that they were looking for the structure of church every Sunday,” the actress said. “So it was a great gift of this film that it took us back to finding our local Methodist church and going every Sunday. It’s really sweet.”
Garner expressed her admiration for the message contained in Miracles from Heaven, particularly the uplifting story of faith that serves as its foundation. She also made similar remarks while attending an event at Bishop T.D. Jakes’ church, The Potter’s House, in Dallas, Texas, where she joined the Beam family and Miracles from Heaven producer DeVon Franklin.
“I fell so in love with this family, I fell so in love with their love for each other. I fell so in love with their faith,” Garner said, going on to speak specifically about Christy Beam. “It was a transformative experience to play this woman right here, she made me stronger.” Garner stated that in Los Angeles, people do not discuss faith, and it has become a very politicized matter.
Garner also stated that people of faith are frequently regarded as outsiders. “I will say that being around this community, and while I’ve always gone to church in West Virginia, that when I got back to Los Angeles, I was talking to my kids about the movie and they said, ‘Mom you don’t take us to church,’” she said. “And we went that Sunday. That decision was a direct gift from this movie and for that, I’m very grateful.”
Garner was honored by Bishop T.D. Jakes after attending his service. Jakes had his choir serenade her with a song that he stated they both knew because they were both from West Virginia. The singers sang John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Road” while the congregation laughed and sang along.
Jennifer Garner did not grow up in a politically engaged household, but her father was “very conservative” while her mother was “quietly” liberal. She grew up attending a local United Methodist Church every Sunday and attending Vacation Bible School.
Garner is the mother of three kids, Violet Anne, Seraphina Rose, and Samuel. She was married to actor Ben Affleck for 10 years until they called it quits and were divorced. They are intensely protective of their children’s privacy and well-being and have vowed to keep their kids away from social media.
