Pastor who’s witnessed to 2,000 celebrities reveals surprising reaction from Ozzy Osbourne before his death

For the past decade, Tennessee youth pastor Dylan Novak has made it his mission to share the Gospel with some of the world's most recognizable celebrities — from presidents and rock legends to A-list movie stars— one personalized Bible at a time.

What started as a hobby visiting Comic Con events as a teenager and striking up conversations about faith with his favorite actors has grown into a full-fledged ministry. Novak estimates he has evangelized to more than 2,000 well-known figures, including President Donald Trump, Ozzy Osbourne, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Sydney Sweeney and others.

Novak said he first realized there was a need to reach famous people with the Gospel at age 13 after reading an interview with "Superman" actress Margot Kidder, who identified as an atheist.

"Reality hit me one day that these celebrities, these people that we admire, these people that have brought us so much joy through the years with their entertainment work, their souls, just like you, just like me, who are on their way to heaven or hell," he told Fox News Digital.

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Around 2015, Novak, who is a youth pastor at Henard's Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Rogersville, Tennessee, said a church member encouraged him to share the Gospel with musician James Taylor after Novak discovered an old interview in which Taylor said he was open to hearing about Jesus. Novak initially hesitated, but said the encounter ended up being foundational to what would become his ministry.

"I was joyful because I was doing what the Lord had asked me to do," he said. "But I was also burdened because I thought, wow, this is a forgotten mission field. These people are so known in the world, but they’re forgotten."

Novak takes a highly personal approach when meeting celebrities. He brings a gift bag that includes a Bible embossed with their name and a handwritten letter addressing comments the individual has made in interviews about their beliefs, questions or doubts. He often includes apologetics resources such as Lee Strobel’s "Case for Christ" series, aiming to provide scientific, historical or philosophical evidence for Christianity.

"I try to always have a letter for each celebrity… so somebody can reach out to me if they have questions, which we have seen a lot of recently," he said. Novak says he assures each person in the letter that he will respect their privacy and that nothing they say or ask in confidence will be repeated.

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On social media, Novak shares photos and short captions after meeting someone and asks his tens of thousands of followers to pray for them.

"I write [my posts] with the intent that this person is going to see it, because I don’t want them to feel like I’m exploiting them," he added. 

One of his favorite stories involves meeting Ozzy Osbourne and his family at a fan event outside Philadelphia in 2023, where he presented the rock legend with a New Believer’s Bible personalized with his name.

Novak said he referenced Osbourne’s comments to GQ in 2020, in which he said he struggled to understand the Bible because of its language. Novak chose a modern translation he believed would be easier for Osbourne to read.

Ozzy immediately flipped to the Gospels, smiled and told him, "I can actually understand this." Weeks later, at another event, Novak says Jack Osbourne approached him to share how deeply the gift had touched his father. 

According to Novak, Jack said Ozzy spent the following day asking for the Bible, reading it, discussing it with his family and keeping it on his nightstand to show visitors.

"We don’t always know this side of heaven how that ended up," Novak said. "I pray Ozzy made a decision to accept and follow Christ. As a result of God’s perfect timing, so many people were praying for Ozzy leading up to his passing. So many people came to know Christ as a result."

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He said after Osbourne's passing in July, his ministry received hundreds of emails.

"We had, no exaggeration, hundreds of people emailing us asking us for gospel information, saying, 'Can you send me some of the material that you gave to Ozzy? I'm an old rocker, I rejected Christ years ago. But if Ozzy was willing to look at it, I'm willing to look at it.' People saying, ‘I want to be saved' and that is just so beautiful to see."

Another meaningful moment for Novak came in his encounter with rock ’n’ roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis in the final years of his life. Although Lewis was raised in a Christian home, he said in a 2015 interview with The Guardian that he feared where he'd end up in the afterlife. Novak prayed for an opportunity to speak with him and eventually met him at an airport following what became Lewis’s final concert.

Novak used a personal connection – photos of his grandfather who had served in the Korean War with one of Lewis’ close friends – to start a conversation and share Christian materials.

"I said, ‘Mr. Lewis, it doesn’t matter that we’re here in the terminal of the Greenville, South Carolina, airport,'" Novak recalled. "You can make that decision and follow Jesus today… Jesus will meet you right where you’re at.’"

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Two days later, Novak said he received a handwritten note from Lewis — which he shared with Fox News Digital — that read, "Don’t worry, Jesus is my personal savior." Shortly after, Lewis announced he was recording a Gospel album. He passed away a few years later.

"It’s a testament to us as Christians," Novak said. "Here’s a man in his 80s who gave his life to Christ. It’s never too late for anybody."

In many stories he shares on his Instagram account, @CelebrityEvangelist, Novak says celebrities are often surprised that he has researched their past comments about faith. He regularly posts accounts of actors and musicians telling him they appreciate someone taking the time to talk with them about spiritual matters.

Even when an encounter does not unfold as hoped, Novak believes God uses each interaction to reach someone.

"We are seeing thousands of people praying for these souls," he said. "Just today, a gentleman messaged me and said he’s trying to share the Gospel with a celebrity friend and asked for advice, and it turns out my wife and I will be seeing that same person in 72 hours."

"It just shows how what some people might say is pointless… God is orchestrating something beautiful behind the scenes," he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Jack Osbourne's publicist for comment.