A Walk To Remember Through Makeshift Bethlehem in Brandon

For certain, it takes a lot of time, effort, money, resources, people and supplies to transfrom a slice of Brandon real estate into a makeshift town of Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ.

But this is missionary work, and these are people who belive in the reason for the season, so much so that they take it as their Christian right and duty to "spread the word."

And so, in the spirit of the season, and with all the aplomb of die-hard community theater veterans, the Walk has never skipped a year since its first-year run at Kings Avenue Baptist Church in Brandon in 1986.

"Definitely, God's hand really is on this," said congregant Ken Stravsavich, who this year played the role of a wine maker.

Richard Martin, an event coordinator, said this year's event, held Dec. 8-11, featured a city "a little deeper."

David Stedall said he first participated in the Walk in 1991, "and then about 12 years I moved." He came back this year, he said, "especially for the 25th anniversary."

Dave Gallops for years has helpd run the event. Both his son and his daughter were born in time to play the role of Baby Jesus, which each year draws several infants to share the honor.

"My wife's uncle and aunt were among the first originators [of the event]," Dave Gallops said. "They got us involved in it about 24 years ago. About eight or nine years ago they basically retired. They stepped out and I stepped in."

The Walk starts after the visitors sign in for the census, then enter the gates of Bethlehem as they're being berated by Roman guards for being "lowly Jews."

Each group of guests then proceeds through the makeshift village, stopping along the way to hear from the tax collector, salt makers, bread makers, townspeople, the teacher in the synagogue, the scribe, the metal workers, the carpenters, the cloth dyers, the cloth weavers, the potters, the woman at the well, three wise men bearing gifts and more.

Each year a newly born baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lays in the manger, with Mary and Joseph keeping watch.

The Walk ends with scences of three crosses erected in a field and of a stone rolled away from an empty tomb.

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