A live nativity scene depicting Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in the manger again will draw visitors to Community Fellowship Church of the Nazarene this Christmas season — a tradition that serves as the church’s gift to the community.

For years, the church at Cobbs and Valley Mills drives has invited the public to slowly drive through the telling of the gospel story.

About 75 people dressed to look like the men and women of Jesus’ time and before occupy scenes depicting the prophets that foretold his coming and his humble birth in a barn.

With about 75 volunteers serving as performers, the live nativity drive-through scene that has become a tradition at Community Fellowship Church of the Nazarene, Cobbs and Valley Mills drives, again will be available to the public for three days.
Community Fellowship Church of the Nazarene photo

“This is something our church really enjoys doing,” said Pam Pennington, who is helping plan this year’s event. “It is a family thing. My husband, Steve, helps direct traffic. My two daughters have served as angels, shepherds and Mary, and even pulled their boyfriends into the program as they had boyfriends.”

Pennington said her youngest daughter, 23-year-old Kendra, is taking exams at the University of Central Oklahoma and will miss taking part in the nativity scene for the first time since elementary school.

“She is not happy about that,” said Pam Pennington, who added that daughter Crystal Willett, 26, will bring several teenagers from a Nazarene church in Red Oak to serve as characters.

Longtime member Rochelle Orwig said visitors receive candy canes and youngsters get coloring books that tell the Christmas story. Pets also get treats.

The scene has been known to attract as many as 2,500 people during its three-day run.

Orwig said Sunday evening often is the busiest as vanloads of visitors from churches and senior centers make the trip.

Orwig said winter conditions often pose a challenge to those standing outside for hours.

“There have been years the weather was so cold, rainy or windy that our signs blew over,” she said.

She said that the volunteers eat a meal before their shifts and usually enjoy hot chocolate and snacks afterward.

The drive-through scene typically includes two live camels, donkeys and sheep.

“One year, we had three camels because we had a baby, which was awesome,” Orwig said.

Valley Mills-based Texas Camel Corps furnishes the animals.

“We do everything but the baby Jesus,” owner Doug Baum said. “We will provide animals for 29 nativity scenes over 23 days in communities pretty much everywhere, from Dallas to San Antonio to Alpine.”

Baum said he owns nine camels after starting with two he bought from a zoo in Nashville, Tenn., where he once worked as a zookeeper. He said he keeps his baby camels to grow his business.

The rate for a full complement of manger animals is $750 to $1,000 a night.

“But I will tell you, Church of the Nazarene there in Waco is getting a substantial discount,” he said, “which I give to a number of churches. For them I basically charge only for labor and fuel.

“This is the season for giving back,” Baum added. “There are fathers out there struggling to provide a Christmas for their families. I’ve been doing this for 17 years and I’ve never struggled.

“There is no way I could show up, take the church’s money and leave. We are really, really blessed and this is the time of year to cut folks a few breaks.”

mcopeland@wacotrib.com

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