Easter panorama honors memory of church member

Published 6:08 pm Monday, March 21, 2016

TONY KRANTZ THE RESURRECTION: Beaver Dam Church of Christ is gearing up to host its annual Easter panorama, depicting scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. Pictured, church members recreate the resurrection of Jesus three days after he was crucified and laid to rest in a tomb.

TONY KRANTZ
THE RESURRECTION: Beaver Dam Church of Christ is gearing up to host its annual Easter panorama, depicting scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. Pictured, church members recreate the resurrection of Jesus three days after he was crucified and laid to rest in a tomb.

More than a decade ago, the late Linda Alligood had a dream of sharing the story of Christ with the community in a visual way. That dream came to fruition, thanks to Alligood’s leadership and direction at Beaver Dam Church of Christ.

Since her death in a car accident on Jan. 15, the church has taken the reins, sharing not only the story of Christ’s life, sacrifices and resurrection, but also continuing Alligood’s dream in her memory.

TONY KRANTZ CARRYING THE CROSS: Church members Brian Harris, depicting Jesus, and Robert Strader, depicting a Roman soldier, recreate the moment Christ carries the cross he is to be crucified on. The scene is one of almost a dozen Beaver Dam Church of Christ recreates to tell the story of the life of Christ.

TONY KRANTZ
CARRYING THE CROSS: Church members Brian Harris, depicting Jesus, and Robert Strader, depicting a Roman soldier, recreate the moment Christ carries the cross he is to be crucified on. The scene is one of almost a dozen Beaver Dam Church of Christ recreates to tell the story of the life of Christ.

“Linda not only had the dream, she was the driving force and organizer necessary to pull off such a huge undertaking,” said Tony Krantz, pastor at Beaver Dam. “We were all crushed (when Linda passed away). She was so important to so many people. Many were doubtful that her dream would or could continue without her. It seemed hopeless. But this is Easter. Jesus was nailed to the cross and placed in a tomb. Hopeless? I would say not. Jesus is alive, and so is Linda’s dream.”

Alligood’s initial plan was to share the story of Christ with the community during Christmas. But due to a number of churches doing similar events, the church changed the dates to coincide with the death and resurrection of Jesus, according to Krantz.

Each year, hundreds of people drive through the five-minute collection of scenes depicting the life of Christ: the birth of Jesus, a nativity scene that includes live animals, Jesus’ baptism, the Last Supper, his crucifixion, resurrection and six other scenes from the life of Jesus.

TONY KRANTZ THE NATIVITY: A manger scene from Beaver Dam Church of Christ’s Easter panorama is recreated by church members Natalie Alligood, depicting an angel, and Eddie and Sandy Clark, depicting Mary and Joseph.

TONY KRANTZ
THE NATIVITY: A manger scene from Beaver Dam Church of Christ’s Easter panorama is recreated by church members Natalie Alligood, depicting an angel, and Eddie and Sandy Clark, depicting Mary and Joseph.

Krantz said around 100 church members are involved in the production, including youth, adults and seniors.

“Many people have come together to make this happen,” Krantz said. “The message of the resurrection brings so much hope to a world that so desperately needs it. We are glad to be able to offer it to the community again this year in honor of Linda. We want the message to continue, and rather than just say, ‘She’s not here, we can’t do it,’ people have stepped up to do this, not only to the glory of God, but also to keep her dream and her memory alive. It’s really like a resurrection, of sorts. People come through and at the end, will be filled with joy and tears, thinking about what Jesus did for their salvation. It’s amazing. It’s an emotional event.”

The event is scheduled for March 25-26, from 7-9 p.m.

Beaver Dam Church of Christ is located at 5125 U.S. Highway 264 East in Washington beside Beaufort County Community College.