Covenanter Part of PBS Special on Colonial Life

BEDFORD, NH (May 17, 2004) - Sometimes it takes only a moment to experience something so profound that it rocks your world. For others, the transformation can take a lifetime.

Jack Lecza's life-changing experience occurred from September 4 through October 4 last year - he was one of 26 people who lived for various periods of time as a member of a British colony as part of a PBS "experiential history" television series known as Frontier House. The special production, featuring the re-enacted community in which Lecza participated - Colonial House - will air in four segments with the first two airing tonight and tomorrow night at 8 p.m. EST on most PBS channels and continuing with additional segments on May 24 and 25.

Lecza is part of the last two episodes, which were filmed in Machias, Maine, and included 19 individuals re-enacting how a colony would function in 1628. He plays the role of cape merchant and company treasurer, a sort of "corporate troubleshooter" sent to give a boost to the colony's business. A management consultant and a history buff, Lecza seemed a near perfect fit for his 17th century part, although the 47-year-old from Bethany Covenant Church had aspired to be the governor of the colony and bring his wife, Addie, and two children to Maine from late May until October as part of the original group of colonists.

"I had seen Frontier House on PBS and was at a Friday morning men's Bible study and we were talking about community and the beginning of the church," Lecza said. "Somehow the discussion went to Frontier House and one of the guys said that they were doing a Colonial House show. Since I had studied that period more than anything I had ever studied, I applied for the show. When I told my family I was serious, they said I was crazy. But three weeks later, they were flying a producer into our area to film us."

While Jack was excited about being a colonist, Lecza's family was less keen on the idea, so Jack was cast in a role that allowed him to enter a changing colony and check on the investments of the colony's business, the Colonial House Company. As it turned out, Lecza's faith helped stabilize the colony in ways he wouldn't have imagined.

Lecza and company lived in an Anglican colony that had its own governing structure and legal system, which was drafted from various government papers of the time. Legal documents for the colony included a charter, instructions for the governor, indentures for servants, a legal code and a book that gave suggestions for proper 17th century behavior. Staff for the production built houses, a storehouse and animal shelters on location in Maine, according to information provided by PBS. They made furnishings such as ceramics, furniture, textiles and baskets and prepared provisions (including 1,500 pounds of salted meat and 850 pounds of dried peas) and taught the original group of colonists about the details of colonial life circa 1628 during a two-week training session.

The training was helpful, Lecza said, but the realities of life in the 21st century played a part in the dynamics of the colony, too. Weeks before Lecza arrived in Maine, the acting governor and his family were forced to leave the colony because of a death in their real life extended family. An assistant governor was named governor and a family of five and two servants were added to the colony. The new family had a strong Christian faith and they and Lecza brought a new spirit to the community. Lecza led Bible studies with a Bible that had been published in 1540 and tried to encourage his fellow colonists as they dealt with primitive life and the stresses of living in a different culture.

"They brought me in as the (new) governor's boss," Lecza said. "I brought all of the discipline to the process - we had to prove we were viable for the next ship that was coming in and harvesting crops like we were supposed to do. But there were spiritual aspects to this as well. The new governor was a Lutheran minister in California and teaches theology at Chico State University. There was an agnostic family, a Christian family from Irvine, California, and there were freemen and servants, too. Some of them were (spiritual) seekers and some were not.

"In the first few episodes of the show, there were people who didn't want to be involved in the spiritual aspect and they were tied to trees and branded (as was the custom during that period)," Lecza continued. "Faith played a lot in my leadership and it paid big dividends. Our Bible studies had eight or nine people and some of the seekers would come. And there'd be days at my house where I did some spiritual jousting with the non-believers. It was really fascinating. One guy, when he was asked what his most amazing experience was, he said it had to do with how close to God he had become."

To be sure, living in a 17th century colony has given Lecza some food for thought. He is considering a job change and believes his view of current business practices has been altered because of what he experienced in Maine. He also lives more simply, values conversation with his family more and has a new network of friends who shared a life experience few in the U.S. could understand. "There was a lot of Christian concern and care and a lot of people truly grew to love each other," he said. "We got home (from the production) on October 6 and the emails started on the 7th and haven't stopped."

Lecza said that his spirituality has been changed by experience last fall, both theologically and in his value system. "The concept of providence was very strong in 1628," Lecza said. "They'd look at the sky, see the stars and say that God put them there and it's not my job to wonder why. That was that. In this century, we're in charge of everything. Many people today believe that their schedule isn't God's schedule. It was interesting to deal with that concept (re-enacting the 1600s) in today's society.

"I'm on the evangelism and enlistment commission at Bethany Covenant, so I'm always looking for different ways to touch people spiritually and share the Good News with them," Lecza continued. "This experience heightened the different shades of gray that can be done with evangelism. A little kindness here and a little listening in a stressful situation can make a difference. It also showed me how much Christian community is to each other. Within two days everybody knew everything about me - and it taught me how important our church community is and how enriching our lives can be in small group communities."

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