Tom Bancroft may not be a household name, but his animations and drawings certainly are. Bancroft’s work includes the iconic Mushu voiced by Eddie Murphy in Disney’s Mulan, as well as animation work on such popular films as Tarzan, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. However, after 12 years with Disney, Bancroft felt called to leave the company in 2000, despite the fact that he was going to be a lead animator for Lilo & Stitch.

Speaking with CBN’s “Faith in Culture” podcast, Bancroft described his decision to leave Disney behind as “loud.” The call to leave had been a long time coming according to Bancroft. “I think I was able to dodge it for a long time, unfortunately,” he said. “But I think it got very loud in the 2000s. … In 2000, I broke away from Disney and I felt like I knew exactly where I needed to go.” As a Christian, he turned to Christian projects, working for a few years on the faith-based Veggie Tales. Working on a Christian production gave Bancroft an opportunity to openly live out his faith at work. “We’re praying at the beginning of meetings. And I had just left a studio where I couldn’t talk about my faith in the hallways,” he said.

While the idea of being wary of Disney may be more commonplace for Christians operating after the releases of Lightyear, which featured a gay family, and releases about Disney’s “not-so secret gay agenda,” leaving the company in 2000 probably didn’t seem to make a lot since at the time. But Bancroft stated he already felt “uneasy” about the company’s direction then. “I honestly saw the direction Disney was going in all the way back in 2000. And I felt very uneasy about it and so, at that point, my faith was mature enough, I think, for me to go, ‘OK, I don’t need to stay here — even though this is my dream,’” he said. “God gave me a new dream.”

Bancroft now hosts the animation podcast with his twin brother Tony called “The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast.” He is also directing the upcoming film, Light of the World, which tells the story of the life of Jesus in an animated style that is a call back to the 90s. John Schafer of Superbook is also directing the film and said he wants to give it a modern 2D approach. “We are bringing a modern 2d animation approach to the timeless story of Jesus from a perspective that will resonate with the whole family.” Brennan McPherson, a producer, added, “The stunning animation and compelling narrative of Light of the World will transport viewers to the time of Jesus, and remind them of the enduring significance of his message.”