Contact: Dr. Anthony Horvath, Athanatos Christian Ministries, 202-697-4623, director@athanatosministries.org

GREENWOOD, Wis., July 12, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Something new and unexpected is coming to the rural countryside of central Wisconsin: a Christian arts and apologetics festival with an international flair.

Known within the apologetics community for its online conferences and a focus on defending the faith through literature and the arts, Athanatos Christian Ministries will take the same approach in a four day festival held on the outskirts of Greenwood, WI, August 4-7, 2016.

The website for the event is www.christianartsfestival.us.

ACM founder and Executive Director, Dr. Anthony Horvath, says that one of the goals of the event is to highlight and elevate local and regional Christian artists while introducing the region to individuals and perspectives from around the country, and even the globe.

Horvath says, "As illustrated by our Christian novel contest, ACM has always emphasized literature. That's why we will be having several award winning writers at our event, including Joseph Courtemanche, the Minnesota author of a book that has received several awards. But we have also emphasized the need to appeal to people who are not already Christians. So, we are pleased to have the musician Sean Michel, who made a splash on 'American Idol.'"

Another presenter is filmmaker Mark Spence, Co-host of "The Comfort Zone." Ray Comfort is well known for the movie "180." Their ministry, "Living Waters," will be screening its latest release about atheism at the festival.

Bringing an international flavor is Christian Lenty, an activist based out of Thailand who is engaged in the war on human trafficking. Another international speaker is an award winning author from Egypt.

"We are pleased to bring in Christians from around the globe so that people in the upper Midwest can get a glimpse into how Christians are at work in other places, and vice versa," Horvath says.

Cultivating a culture in which Christian artists can flourish is only one aspect of ACM's vision. Another aspect is its desire to facilitate deep conversations about important matters. To that end, Dr. Bernard Bull, an expert in educational technology, and Dr. Wayne Rossiter, a rising critic of theistic evolution, will stand alongside the host of other artists and performers.

"Our motto is: Equipping artists to be apologists and apologists to be artists," Horvath says. "In today's climate, you have to cultivate both sides at once."

Dr. Anthony Horvath is available for interviews at 202-697-4623 and director@athanatosministries.org.