David Orban
David Orban
LONGVIEW, Texas--For the third year, the Longview congregation participated in a citywide joint Easter service.
For the past eight years, Jim Johnson of Fellowship Bible Church has coordinated the effort to bring several churches from across the city together. This year, pastors and members from 10 churches participated in an early morning service, April 23, at a city park.
The Longview News-Journal called the service "a glimpse of heaven" as participants crossed barriers of denomination, race and geography.
Last year, pastor David Orban gave the sermon, and this year six Longview members presented a skit written by elder Lee Berger. The dramatic reading was performed in first-century costumes borrowed from the drama department of a church not participating directly in the Easter service.
Other churches provided advertising, the sound system, singers, musical accompaniment, prayers and the sermon. Early morning rains stopped long enough to allow several hundred worshipers to come together at a city park to demonstrate their common belief in the importance of the death and resurrection of our Savior.
The Longview News-Journal said that a few years ago the WCG "was considered a near-cult until members searched the Scriptures and realigned their thinking." About the skit WCG members performed, the paper said: "Their new-found joy was evident again as they re-enacted the apostles' discovering Jesus had risen."
Mr. Berger said: "We are excited about cross-denominational harmony and are happy that our history as a church has prepared us to be participants in these opportunities to demonstrate the true unity all Christian believers share in Jesus Christ."
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