by Steve Dunford

THOMPSONVILLE, IL – Members of the Thompsonville First Baptist Church, and from other area churches, will be performing the Easter Drama He’s Alive Friday through Sunday of this week, at 7:00 p.m.  If you plan on going, please get there early, as there will be a packed house.

The church is located on State Route 34, just east of the school,

Alan Newman, pastor of the Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Christopher portrays Jesus in the play. (All photos by Samantha Sullivan. Please call 499-6465 to book her for your next event)

If you head over to T’ville, come and eat supper.  I have not had the chance to try it yet, but people drive over from Benton and West Frankfort to eat there.  I am not sure of the hours on Saturday, but a lot drive to eat fish at K & D cafe on Friday nights. For a snack, take some chicken strips home from Payne’s service center.  They are no ordinary gas station chicken strips. They are better than the colonel.

The play used to be an annual event starting in the 1980’s, written and directed by Jean Elimon.  The play portrays the life of Christ, from his birth to the resurrection.

The cast is around 100 actors.  There will be local soloists featured in the drama.

I love church plays, where bed sheets as used as the curtains, etc.  This is not you ordinary church play.  The front of the church is transformed into a stage.  There will be several scenes.  Live animals will be featured in the production.

I am going to go down memory lane for awhile.  I appeared several years in the past. I played Matthew and John The Baptist one year.  I was Judas Iscariot for several years in the play.

John Robinson, pastor of TFBC, in his role in a dress rehearsal. John is also the K-12 principal at Thompsonville. He also the HS basketball coach at one tine.

I can not help to go back down memory lane.  It was worth going over the years to watch Neal Clem play the devil. Those eyes that he use to make where spooky.  With his dry sense of humor, Neal is one of the funniest guys I ever met.  He played the part so well, that a family came later to be a part of TFBC later.  They said they didn’t like him for a while because he played the role so well in the play.

Two men that also stand out have gone on.  The first is Jim Elimon.  His role as a money changer in the temple was classic.  The scene where kids came to his table to look at his merchandise, “the get out of here…go on” line was classic.

Jim was the barber in Thompsonville .  If he would get the hankering to go fishing, he would just paint with white shoe polish on his windows, closed, gone fishing today.  I had the opportunity to fish with him a few times.  Those are cherished days looking back on it.

Jim was a fisher of men most of all.  If you went to get a haircut from him, he would tell you about Jesus.  He was a model deacon in the church.  He would visit the sick and on Monday’s go to the nursing homes giving men haircuts.

The second was William “Doc” Harvey.  He played one of the Pharisees.  He always ad-libbed his lines. Some of the things he would say, especially leaving the scene griping about Jesus were so authentic, real, and downright funny.

Several of the youths community participate in the drama. Bailee Clem, a TCHS cheerleader, is in front of all the youth,

Doc loved our little town of 600.  He served on the village board at least all of my life and was a great booster to the school, especially Tiger athletics.  The gym in Thompsonville now bears his name.  Like Jimmy, he was a model deacon as well.

One of the most touching moments in the history of the play, I watched from the vestibule, after I did my role as Judas and was going to be in the crowd of the crucifixion shortly.  Jewell Kerley, recently became a Christian in his 70’s.  My good friend and his grandson, Stevie was playing a Centurion soldier.  He had the role of beating Jesus.  All at once you heard Jewell say out loud Stevie I am ashamed of you, that is my Jesus you are beating.

To tell the story of the crucifixion, there are roles like that you have to play.  I think Jody Kilburn, pastor of the First Baptist Chruch in Woodlawn, TN, used to be one of the thieves on the cross.  As I am writing this, the past role that I played  selling Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, always made me think and take a look at myself, even today I am reflecting on it.

I shared a lot of memories.  For the current, I recommend you come and watch the play.  It is an evangelical outreach of the church.  The Gospel will be presented.