Church revives Easter tradition

Greg Marshburn portrays Jesus during dress rehearsal for 'The Victor' - the Easter production for Bethlehem Baptist Church Monday evening. 'The Victor' will have performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

A cast of more than 80 from a Jacksonville church will revive a tradition of presenting the trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ in a dramatic musical

After a five-year hiatus, Bethlehem Baptist Church on Gum Branch Road will present The Victor, a musical written by Christian songwriter David Clydesdale that looks at the week leading up to what the church pastor Daniel Flynn calls the pinnacle of the Christian belief: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to Flynn, the show, which includes a cast of 86 people, will depict what the final week of Jesus Christs life was like.

The thing captured by the large cast is that its more realistic, Flynn said. The mass of people will help you understand what Jesus was going through when he was giving it all.

The shows director and church music director, Travis Parker, said the decision was made to revive the show, which he said was a staple at the church for more than two decades, after the church used its time and materials to put on an outdoor presentation for the Christmas season called One Night in Bethlehem for the past three years. Parker said the decision was made to revive the spring production after requests from the congregation. Parker said preparations began in January with choir rehearsals for a cast nearly three times as big as the churchs regular choir and the construction of a new set.

Theres a lot of talent with this show, but I cant take credit for it, Parker said. There are quite a few new people who have never done this before, but there are also a lot of people who have done the same parts over and over again.

One of the cast members reprising a role is Seth Howard, a Richlands farmer who plays Benjamin, a member of the religious authority who becomes a follower of Jesus and the shows narrator. Howard said he cannot remember how many times hes played the role, but said hes happy to be a part of a show he hopes will bring people to Christ.

Its been very exiting, Howard said. Theres a lot of excitement this year about presenting the show. If one person comes to know Christ as our savior through this show, it will be all worth it.

The role of Jesus will be played for the first time by another Richlands farmer, Greg Marshburn. Marshburn said this is the first time hes had a speaking role in the show he said hes played Roman soldiers in previous performances and that taking on the role has not always been easy.

Youre playing someone whos perfect, and Im not perfect, Marshburn said. Thats the hardest part. Im not a singer or an actor either, but (Parker) asked me to do it and I did. Its been a great experience and I hope Im a witness to Christ through this show.

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Church revives Easter tradition