Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX—the 45,000-member Southern Baptist megachurch led by Dr. Jack Graham—has once again staged its Christmas spectacular, and once again it is drawing criticism.
Advertised as a “visually stunning multimedia event complete with special effects, a nearly 1,000-member cast and choir, live orchestra, flying angels, and much more!” the promo material explains:
The program keeps audiences fully engaged for a powerful 100 minutes—the perfect length for every family member to enjoy. It includes all your Christmas favorites, including the beautiful Living Nativity. Featuring camels and kings, flying angels, and eye-popping virtual scenery, the Christmas story comes to life in a breathtaking way. Bold lighting and scenic design give a unique look that inspires and engages the audience, enhancing the message of The Greatest Story Ever Told!
This year’s event features:
- Elaborate staging and lighting
- State-of-the-art, high-resolution video technology with a massive LED video wall
- A live 50-piece orchestra and nearly 1,000-member cast and choir
- Brilliant musical scoring
- Flying angels, live animals, the Living Nativity, and much more!
Notably, the church has received criticism for the event in the past, which draws in more than 75,000 people each year, prompting them to assure people that tithes are not used in the production.
Instead, it is a paid event supported through sales, with tickets ranging from $20.95 for upper-balcony seats to $70.95 for premium seats. The church estimates that 95% of their cast members are volunteers.
Prestonwood ‘s Creative Director Andy Pearson insists that having the event be extravagant and over the top is the point.
“100% it’s over the top. Our pastor has told us time and time again that it’s one of his mottos: ‘Excellence in all things, and all things to the glory of God.’ And that’s what this show is. It is over the top. When we look at our community and what’s out there competing for people’s time, the fact that we get to put on a production on this scale is just awesome.”
One response to “Prestonwood Baptist Church Launches their 2025 Christmas Spectacular”
Somewhere, Robert Schuller is blushing at his obviously inadequate attempts at Christmas pageants.