James Beyioku: Leading and Serving for Christ in Seminary and Theater
Indiana Wesley University was part of James Beyioku’s life long before he ever became either a student or an employee. Because James’ father, Dr. Jolly Beyioku, taught classes in the School of Theology and Ministry, IWU already felt like home by the time he was finishing high school. As such, James felt like it was the only place that it made sense for him to go. As a student at IWU, James felt free to grow and express his faith in different ways. Monday nights were worship nights at the Well, Tuesday nights were for Coram Deo, Thursday nights were for Awaken Ministries, and chapel ran throughout the week—in addition to small groups Beyioku participated in at his hall.
“I never felt like I was without an opportunity to grow in my faith,” Beyioku said, “but I also learned that it the responsibility to do those things was mine and no one else’s, if I actually wanted to grow.” For Beyioku, this combination of freedom and responsibility that came with college was an important time in his faith walk. This has in turn helped him develop an even stronger passion for both his local and church communities.
After finishing his degree in 2019, James began to pursue a variety of opportunities across the state but always knew that his ties to IWU were still strong. In 2021, he took a chance on a grant-funded job opportunity at IWU National & Global.
“It ended up being a really great experience where I got to learn a lot of things and meet a lot of interesting people, and those connections were what helped me to come back, eventually, to find the role that I’m in now in academic services with Wesley Seminary.”
For Beyioku, the best part of each of his roles at IWU has always been the people he gets to interact with and the relationships he’s been able to foster across departments and parts of the university. Coming from such a distinctly interconnected background, Beyioku has only been able to expand the number of people across the university he knows and interacts with over time. Across the school’s many areas, Beyioku has consistently seen that while the specifics of every job are wildly different, the core underlying mission remains the same.
“We all approach things with a heart for the Lord and for providing the best, Spirit-led experience for people,” Beyioku shared.
In addition to the actual responsibilities of his job, Beyioku’s current position also opened unexpected doors for ministry and service. During his original interview for his job, Director of Academic Services Becca Rankin mentioned to him that she participates in community theater. He halfway jokingly said that was something he’d be interested in trying, despite having no background in theater. He then forgot about this for a while until he received a text asking if he wanted to come to auditions. On a whim, he decided to go and check it out, which in turn led to the discovery that he actually found it enjoyable. “It was really fun. I walked away from that experience completely satisfied because I could say I’d auditioned for a play,” Beyioku said.
Unexpectedly, two hours later he received a call telling him he’d gotten the part. “I freaked out for like five seconds,” Beyioku remembers. “I was like, ‘okay, well, let’s do this.’”
While preparing, memorizing, and practicing everything for the show was certainly daunting, Beyioku committed to putting in as much effort as he could, doing it as unto the Lord. By the time the show had been performed, the experience had become exhilarating. While he notes that it required sacrifices to be made in terms of his schedule, Beyioku found the experience amazing and is now preparing for his second show.
For Beyioku, the artistic creation that comes from building a performance and crafting a show has become yet another of the many ways in which he engages with God, this being an example of sub-creation through which he seeks to reflect Christ to others and echos Christian themes through his performances.
The play Beyioku is currently in, You Can’t Take it With You, sees him step into the role of Tony Kirby—a character most famously portrayed by It’s A Wonderful Life star James Stewart. Although not an intrinsically Christian work of art, Beyioku is not the first to point out that the play’s themes have value from a Christian worldview. “It’s not just funny, it’s also very reflective of a lot of different life experiences that everyone has. I’m really excited for it.” (Beyioku’s performance in You Can’t Take It With You can be seen Feb. 20-22 at 7:00 PM or Feb. 23 at 2:00 PM at the James Dean Memorial Theater in Marion.)
Community theater has become a ministry opportunity for Beyioku not simply in terms of the messages being conveyed through his performances but also in his interactions with other cast and audience members as he gets to know people who might not otherwise engage with the university. “My favorite part about being in productions is getting to create relationships with everyone involved and everyone who comes to a show. It kind of just underscores everything I like about getting to be a part of this process. I get to create something with a bunch of amazing people and then give it to the world to let them appreciate God’s creation through it.”
Whether at work, church, or community theater, Beyioku is thankful for the opportunities and people God has placed in his life and he seeks to continue reflecting Christ to others across Marion through his art, work, and worship.
