The Easter story is a timeless one, but for one Golden Triangle church, this particular Easter season marks a time milestone — a 25th anniversary of sharing the wondrous story with thousands through drama and music.
Powerful and moving, Living Pictures at Fairview Baptist Church in Columbus involves about 350 to 400 of the congregation, as cast, choir, orchestra and technical teams bring to life music and script that depict the basis of the Christian faith. Each year, the compelling presentation is seen by 4,000 or more people during its three-day run — and by untold numbers later on television.
The ministry heart of Living Pictures is evident in the selfless dedication of those who work on it. Church Music Director Slater Murphy, who was first inspired to instigate the program more a quarter-century ago by a similar production at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., praised the teamwork.
“We have a wonderful core team of 25 people that each have areas they”re responsible for. They help create it, write it and produce it,” he explained. From there, dozens of members with talents in everything from lighting and video production, to costuming and artistic set-building unselfishly bring their skills to the table. The full vision is brought to vivid life by a dedicated drama cast of near 175, a choir of about 100, plus a 30-member orchestra.
Different every year
Although the story of Christ”s life never changes, great care is taken to make Living Pictures “new” each spring.
“We keep it as fresh as we can. There are so many Bible stories you can dramatize, we just lift it off the page, but it has to get there, and it has to segue carefully,” said Murphy, stressing the massive logistical coordination necessary. “It”s just really very carefully built and produced, and we”re tweaking it until the last minutes.”
Vicki Kimbrell has been directing the cast for about 20 years.
“When it all comes together — the orchestra, the choir, the drama — oh goodness, it just becomes a whole fresh experience. It”s what Easter is all about, the Lord has blessed us to do this for the community, and outside our community. And working together is an added blessing; it binds us together,” she stated.
The 30 to 35 percent of the congregation involved in the Easter program share a unique bond, Murphy said. “Through the rehearsals, they get to have a fellowship they may not have at any other time of the year. … it strengthens the church; they build relationships.”
Shared role
Logistical demands of scenes unfolding on stage, in the aisles and behind scrim screens in the large sanctuary require that three church members portray Christ. Steve McKay has been doing that for 15 of the 20 or so years he”s taken part — as his Weyerhaeuser co-workers are well aware.
“Starting about February or early March, I”ll stop shaving and let my hair grow out for the role,” he chuckled.
Throughout the years, McKay”s sons, in their turn, played the very young Jesus. Now 16 and 13, those boys are still part of Living Pictures. His daughter has also been in the cast.
“Having the role of Jesus means a lot to me, and it”s so good to know my children are excited about being in this … it”s kind of like passing it down,” said McKay, who produces Fairview”s weekly television broadcast and edited the 2010 Living Pictures that will air Easter Sunday on WLOV.
Lee Gillis and Chris Crawley also portray Christ.
For Gillis, the 25th anniversary becomes a family affair. His wife and 3-year-old son, Rowe, are also in the cast. At Monday night”s rehearsal, Rowe saw another cast member dressed in Jesus” robes and mistakenly called out, ”Daddy, Daddy!”
“Everyone got a kick out of it,” smiled Gillis, 32. “He hasn”t been in ”big church” very much, so all this will be different, just to get to see everybody in costume and take in the sights. He”ll learn a lot from it, I think; we read a lot of Bible stories.”
Kimbrell remarked, “One of the greatest blessings to me is the children that are in it. I can”t tell you how excited they are. It starts their questions and interest. Some of the Sunday School teachers use it as a teaching tool, having some of the characters come to their class in costume the whole month surrounding Living Pictures.”
Murphy agreed. “Children then are now parents, and they have their children in it; that is really a joy to see, faithfulness taught, caught and learned just by being absolutely dedicated to this ministry.”
One of Gillis” scenes as Christ is in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Judas and the soldiers take him. He also carries the cross. The poignant moments have a strong impact.
“Unworthy. I guess that”s the word,” said Gillis thoughtfully. “I feel so unworthy of doing something like that; it really humbles me. It will touch you … it”s hard to explain the feeling of it.”
Crawley has been filling one of the roles of Jesus for about 14 years. His daughter, Savannah Kinard, and his three grandchildren will all be part of it with him.
“Just seeing them going down the same road and wanting to present the gospel is really meaningful,” he said. Of the cast bond, he added, “There a lot of different talents and gifts there, and we work together as a body. No one role is more important than another, and everybody is gracious toward each other — there”s a lot of love there … there has to be,” he chuckled, “working that many hours together.”
Tenure
Besides Murphy, one other person has the distinction of having been in every single Living Pictures — 38-year-church member Joe Godfrey. Ironically, the 25th anniversary will be his first year to sit in the audience, due to back surgery.
“I told them up front I don”t do singin” parts or speakin” parts,” laughed Godfrey, “but the main thing has just been being a part of a group that helps spread the word about Jesus. This will be my first year to see it live, and I”m looking forward to it.”
From those like Godfrey, Kimbrell and numerous others who have been part of Living Pictures for many, many years, to the newest members of the cast, choir, crew or audience — each is integral to a special ministry still thriving after 25 years.
“To me, one of the greatest joys is seeing the church come together as one body, one mind, one heart, one spirit, with the subjugation of all things that are of the ego, for the greater good, to lift up Christ,” Murphy said. ” … There”s something about seeing it, touching it, feeling it, being there, it really affects the faith walk of a lot of people. … God has his hand on it, and he changes lives.”
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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