“We strive to not let it be a show. It’s a worship service with beautiful music.” –The Reverend Chris Murrell, minister of music, Berea First Baptist Church
A thirty-one-year-old, ten-ton Christmas tree might sound like a tall tale (thirty-five-and-a-half feet tall, to be exact), but it’s actually one of Greenville’s most widely admired holiday attractions. “The Living Christmas Tree” of Berea First Baptist Church enters its third decade this year, reaching out to an estimated 10,000 attendees annually—some from as far as North Carolina and Georgia.
The Reverend Chris Murrell, who now directs this 110-member ensemble, was a senior in high school when he performed in the church’s first-ever Living Tree service under the Reverend Floyd Parker. Today, the tradition continues under senior pastor Ronald D. Vaughan, with Murrell as minister of music, and acclaimed pianist Charlie Miller on accompaniment.
The mechanics of the tree are a feat of engineering that—surprisingly—takes only one day for parishioners to construct: Chorale members are precisely positioned on 4,000 pounds of steel framing that supports plywood flooring, and are then surrounded by more than 35,000 colored Christmas lights. A full orchestra plays, and a nativity scene takes place around the tree. “The music changes from year to year, but we always keep it simple,” Murrell says, explaining that songs range from classical to contemporary.
The highest compliment his group has received following one of their performances? After pausing in brief contemplation, Murrell says: “It’s always moving when someone says it made them appreciate the true meaning of Christmas.”