If churches had a Super Bowl, it would be held on Easter Sunday.
Indeed, while football fans were busy scavenging the grocery aisles in February, searching for last minute deals on chips and dip, area pastors were already preparing for a different crowd — “Christmas-Easter Only” churchgoers, known somewhat irreverently as “CEOs.”
Nationwide, six out of 10 Christians attend Easter services, but that”s just a normal Sunday in Mississippi, which ranked first in regular church attendance in 2008 and 2009, according to Gallup polls. But even here, in the heart of the Bible Belt, the holiday packs pews.
It”s Southern culture. It”s Southern tradition. It”s the Southern way.
Pastor R.J. Matthews, of Kingdom Vision International in Columbus, said he normally sees between 500 and 600 people on Sundays. This weekend, he expects more than 900 people to fill the auditorium at Lee Middle School, where the church holds services. The auditorium only has seating for 844, so they”ll have to set up folding chairs.
Matthews doesn”t mind. He knows he”ll see some people who haven”t been to church since last Easter, and he welcomes the newcomers.
It”s a chance to speak to their hearts and make a positive change in their lives. It”s a chance to bring the unchurched back into the fold. It”s a chance to resurrect the fallen and lead them to a life of Christ.
“Something in our heart is drawn to coming to church on Resurrection Sunday,” Matthews said.
He always tries to prepare a good sermon, but he takes special care with the Easter message.
“You really want to be prepared to make an impact,” he said. “You”re going to have the ears of people you may not have year-round. It may be the only moment you have, so you want to take full advantage of the opportunity and hopefully inspire them.”
At First Presbyterian Church on Bluecutt Road, the Rev. Tom Bryson was also gearing up for a big crowd. While he normally sees around 110 people on an average Sunday, he said he expects that number to surpass 200 on Easter.
More bulletins will have to be printed. Signs have to be made to help first-time visitors find restrooms. The church will need flashlights on hand to guide drivers into the parking lot for the 6 a.m. sunrise service.
There”s a lot to be done over the next few days.
Nearly a dozen volunteers spent Thursday cleaning up debris from Wednesday night”s storm and preparing the Maundy Thursday “Monk”s Meal,” a simple repast of bread, olives, and cheese.
Between checking on food preparations in the kitchen and preparing his liturgy, Bryson prayed and concentrated on the message he will deliver Sunday morning in the church”s memorial garden.
Like Matthews, Bryson began thinking about Easter shortly after the Christmas decorations went back to the attic.
“I”m just praying a lot and hoping we have everything together and show hospitality,” he said.
At First Baptist Church in downtown Columbus, pastor Shawn Parker plans to hold two services for Easter. Though the church has been holding both a traditional and a contemporary worship service every Sunday since January, this will be the first year Parker has held two separate holiday services.
Though he normally sees a crowd of around 700 people, he expects that number to swell to nearly 1,100 Easter morning.
Parker said his message in both services will be the same: Hope in the face of death. Easter, and the Resurrection, he said, offers Christians eternal hope.
Personally, he hopes people who only come to church on Easter will decide to continue attending.
“The reason churches meet on Sundays is because that”s the day our Lord was resurrected,” Parker said. “In that regard, every Sunday is Easter.”
Donna Butler, who attends Stephens Chapel Baptist Church, agreed. She said she thinks everyone should try to go to church at least three Sundays a month. However, this week, she plans to stay home. She doesn”t want to deal with the crowd, which she said is easily double the usual on Easter.
She thought about the service, the children who will be there in their Easter finery, the meaning of the day, and she wavered.
“I don”t know, I might go,” she said. “But it will be crowded.”
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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