Bombin the Clown has a nose for ministry_82503

image_pdfimage_print

Posted: 8/22/03

Bombin the Clown has a nose for ministry

By Leann Callaway

Special to the Standard

FORT WORTH–Most people associate clowns with children's birthday parties or a circus. But a “clown ministry” is much more than that–it's a form of creative evangelism.

“As a clown, I can use comedy, songs, Bible stories, object lessons, illusions, juggling, slapsticks and more silly stuff to share a biblical truth with anyone,” Rafael Rondon explained.

When Rondon puts on his clown makeup and trademark red nose, he becomes Bombin the Clown.

Bombin the Clown (Rafael Rondon)

“Bombin the Clown is a silly character who presents the good news of Jesus Christ in fun and interesting ways,” he said. “Some people will simply not come to church, but they will watch a clown show. I think of it as reaching the unreachable.

“The amazing thing is, not only kids listen, but people of all ages. My audience watches with the expectation to be entertained, but they get more than that. I begin by making them laugh, but then I lead them to know about Jesus Christ, who gives true joy.”

Long before Rondon's clown ministry began, he was a regular performer at family birthday parties. “I started being a clown when I was about 8,” he said. “I would entertain my family on their birthdays. I would do funny stuff and play the accordion.”

By the time Rondon graduated from high school, he was getting requests to perform at parties outside his family. He paid his way through college by clowning at birthday parties and schools.

From there, Rondon began performing for children at his church. In 1990, Rondon met a Christian clown who introduced him to clowning as a ministry.

“I got hooked,” he said. “It was amazing because people would actually stop and pay attention to the gospel preached by a clown.”

Four years later, Rondon and a former Home Mission Board missionary, Eugenio Adorno, better known as Chagy the Clown, established Circus of the King.

“Circus of the King utilizes traditional circus acts to present the gospel to audiences, while concluding with an invitation to surrender to Christ,” Rondon explained. “In 1995, after working for a year to put a circus and evangelistic crusade together with the Home Mission Board, we had thousands of people coming to hear the gospel. God was showing me this was the kind of creative ministry that he wanted me to do.

“One morning, we were having a staff prayer meeting, and as we prayed, I received God's calling to surrender to ministry. Since I have accepted God's calling, I no longer do clowning as a business but I use it as part of a ministry.”

Both Rondon and Adorno wanted more training, so they enlisted the help of professionals.

They signed up for intensive clown training from the retired staff of Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus.

“We met clowns from all over the world, and we were introduced to areas of clowning that we never imagined, such as mime, drama, juggling, slapsticks, physical comedy, circus clowning, and more,” Rondon said.

In 1997, Rondon relocated to Fort Worth to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he graduated with a master of divinity degree in 2001. During this time, Rondon began serving as music minister at Templo Bautista Emanuel.

In addition to being a full-time music minister, he performs 50 to 75 times a year as a clown for evangelistic crusades, block parties, Vacation Bible Schools, church camps and other outreach efforts.

“To me, the most meaningful thing is seeing someone come to know Christ,” Rondon said. “I have seen kids and their parents surrendering to Christ at the same time. That is beautiful. It's meaningful to see that God uses me, and he changes people's lives.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.


We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.

Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.

More from Baptist Standard