Philadelphia church puts on 'Not Your Ordinary Nativity' to kindle holiday spirit

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- There are a lot of long-standing traditions at the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia.

This year, the production of 'Not Your Ordinary Nativity' is a new tradition gracing the stage.

"We always do something to celebrate the resurrection in the spring and the advent in the winter time," said Reverend Dr. Alyn E. Waller, senior pastor at the church.

But this is the first time such a production is being made on a large scale.

Waller describes it as a pageant since it includes songs, dancing, and a new spin and retelling of the birth of Jesus Christ.

"We looked at, what if that happened today? What if that happened in 2023? What if your cousins, nieces, and daughters said, 'Hey, I'm going to have a baby and he's going to save the world!' How would people respond to that?" said Eryka Waller, director of arts at Enon.

The answer, according to Eryka, is in the production.

With a cast of roughly 40 members, they began rehearsing in October.

On Sunday, the pews of Enon were packed with people who came to watch.

Waller says he hopes they leave the production motivated, inspired, and most of all ready for the Christmas holiday.

"In our polarized society, there are certain things that can help us all come closer to the middle, and I believe Jesus Christ is one of those things," said Waller.