Hebron Baptist tells Christmas story

For 12 years, people have been able to travel back to the night Jesus was born by visiting the recreated Bethlehem Village behind Hebron Baptist Church in Afton.

“It gives a lot of freedom to let you decide how you fit into the Christmas story,” said Ken Bryant, the publicity outreach person for the village.

Each night, visitors can talk to about 40 people in costumes who embody characters involved in the biblical story, like Roman soldiers, a choir of angels and shop keepers. The eight-structure village includes live animals, like camels and donkeys, to help with the realistic feel of the event.

The buildings are permanent fixtures that were built in 2004 behind the church, located at 66 Tanbark Drive in Afton, and include an inn, a stable, weaponry, a working olive press and a music shop, as well as a few tents.

A giant light shines above the manger, guiding people to the village now, as the star did when Jesus was born.

The village is open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every night from Friday, Dec. 16 through Tuesday, Dec. 20. It will open at 5 p.m. on Sun. Dec. 18 so that people can see the village in partial daylight.

The earlier opening was added three or four years ago mainly for elderly visitors who felt more comfortable seeing the village when it was not as dark, said Bryant. The village is lit by torches and firelight. Guests are encouraged to bring a flash light.

There will also be a Spanish translator for visitors on Sunday, starting at 7 p.m. so that the Spanish-speaking community can enjoy the village too, said Bryant. The Spanish tours were first offered three years ago.

Bryant was unsure how many people come to the Spanish and earlier showings in past years, but said about 8,000 people came last year from all over Virginia. This is an increase from when the village first began in 1999.

There were about 2,500 visitors total in the first year. Now, Bryant said they can have 2,500 visitors in one night. He predicted that they might reach 100,000 visitors overall this year.

The village was created to show people the “real Christmas story” and to give people a break from shopping and the commercialism of the holiday, Bryant said.

One thing Bryant stressed was that even though it was a religious event, they were not there to convert people or force Christianity onto anyone.

“If you come and it moves you spiritually then fantastic,” he said. “If you come and want to just pet the camels and get away from the commercialism, that’s fine too. It lets people think about what it might have been like in first century Bethlehem.”

It takes about 45 minutes to go through the village and see the story of Jesus’ birth play out. Visitors are able to go through the village at their own pace.

Bryant said the biggest change this year from past years is the increase in volunteers from the community. He said the number doubled since last year with about 40 of the 100 volunteers having no affiliation with one of the four Rockfish valley participating churches.

“I’m amazed at the number of people that go out in the 20 or 30 degree nights,” Bryant said. “A lot come from work and transform into a Wise Man for three hours or a blind beggar for three hours.”

Preparation for the village begins in August with repainting the buildings. Volunteers help with funding the village, making the costumes, acting in it, parking cars, or helping set up the heat and electricity for the buildings.

He said the village has become a part of people’s holiday traditions for the volunteers and visitors alike.

There is no cost to visit the village. However there will be a few boxes around the village for donations. There will also be one cart selling some crafts.

“It’s not something we use to make a lot of money on,” Bryant said. “We don’t want that. It takes away from it.”