The Cross, The Crown
Wednesday through Friday, April 16-18, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 19, 3 p.m.
Abilene Convention Center. No tickets, no registration

By the Numbers
200–Total participants
44–Cast members
86–Adult choir
24–Orchestra members
12–Backstage crew
31–Angels (Students grades 7-12)
24–”King Scene Kids” (grades 4-5)

By Loretta Fulton

Approximately 200 people are combining their talents, time, and resources to bring The Cross,
The Crown to the stage of the Abilene Convention Center as an Easter gift to the community.

The live production by members of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, April 16-18, and at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 19. The productions are free. No ticket or registration is required. 

“It is my prayer that you are blessed and encouraged by our presentations,” said Eric McElhaney, worship pastor at Pioneer Drive. “We invite you to join us in worship as we lift our voices and hearts in praise to our risen Savior, Jesus Christ.”

This will be McElhaney’s third production of The Cross, The Crown, which is presented every other year. He served as associate minister of music for two productions in 2017 and 2019. 

The production (the church dropped the word “pageant” several years ago) runs 90 minutes with no intermission. The 200 people making the presentations possible range from the cast, choir, and orchestra to the backstage crew and children from fourth through 12th grades. 

The script, written by choir member Mike Walls, is brand new. Most of the songs are new, too, McElhaney said, with a few from previous years. The script tells the biblical story of Jesus from birth through the ascension. Reed Ambrose, director of communications at Pioneer Drive, plays the role of Jesus. 

A focal point of the script is Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well, who was an outcast in her society. In a program note, Walls pointed out that despite her status, the woman at the well was the first person Jesus told openly that he was the Messiah. 

“The truth that she could not imagine, but that would change her life forever, was that God incarnate was literally standing right in front of her,” Walls wrote. 

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene