Catholic, Baptist churches unite for Christmas pageant

Concept led to dialogue and dialogue unveiled kindred spirits impassioned by the same vision. The adult and children’s choirs of St. Gertrude Parish and First Baptist Church in Kingsville are uniting for four performances of “Christmas Is Coming,” a Christmas pageant about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“What a great opportunity God has put before St. Gertrude Church and First Baptist Church to have both choirs work together on a Christmas Concert that will enable us to give thanks to God for the great gift of the Christ child,” Father James G. Stembler, pastor of St. Gertrude’s said.

The first joint performance will be given at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, at Casa Ricardo located at 200 W. Yoakum in Kingsville. St. Gertrude and First Baptist will each have December performances at the respective churches.

“Being a convert myself, it is my hope that this will inspire all Christian traditions in Kingsville to do events together throughout the year so that we can come together and be one as Jesus and the Father are one,” Father Stembler said, who was baptized in the Dutch Reformed Church of Flatbush in Brooklyn, N.Y., raised in the Presbyterian Church and became a member of the Catholic Church at the University of Dallas Chapel.

“This ecumenical, hand-in-hand, expression of Christian fellowship is a step in the right direction,” Jack Willoughby, pastor of the First Baptist Church Kingsville said. “Catholics and Baptists with one voice celebrating the hope and healing of Jesus to a broken and divided world makes for a convincing testimony of the power of Christmas.”

“I could not think of a better way to present Advent’s message of hope, peace, love and joy than through the coming together of two unlikely groups,” said Willoughby, who was born in Alabama but has spent most of his life in Texas.

Both men agreed that there was no denying that God is up to something miraculous and “amazingly wonderful.”

“This vision is now on its way to becoming a reality as our two churches determine to focus on our common love for Jesus,” Willoughby said.

“Christmas Is Coming” combines the expression of worship with the high-energy exuberance of the season in a 46-minute celebration.

Gary Rhodes arranged new Christmas favorites from Steven Curtis Chapman, Jason Gray and Chris Tomlin as well as keeping the beloved carols for the audience to sing along. Deborah Craig-Claar has woven the musical together with a two-person narration that weds a contemporary perspective with scripture.

The adult and children’s choirs will be led by First Baptist Church choir director Larry Purkey and St. Gertrude’s Rachel Bustamante. An orchestra made up of students and faculty members from Texas A&M University—Kingsville and musicians from both churches will accompany the pageant

The community is invited to attend the performances at either church.