1965: A Christmas Eve Witness Carried to the Nation

In 1965, Myers Park Baptist Church was entrusted with a rare and significant responsibility: to lead a nationally televised Christmas Eve worship service. The selection itself mattered. At a time when very few congregations were invited into the nation’s living rooms for worship, Myers Park Baptist Church was chosen to represent both the sacred meaning of the evening and the life of the church beyond its own community.

The broadcast marked a moment of deep visibility, but also deep trust—a recognition of the church’s theological seriousness, worship life, and capacity to speak faithfully to a wide and varied audience.

A Christmas Eve Service with National Reach
The Christmas Eve service followed the familiar shape of worship held year after year—Scripture, music, prayer, and proclamation offered in reverence and restraint. Yet that night, the congregation gathered with an added awareness that countless others would be listening and watching from across the country.

Preparation was extensive, not to create spectacle, but to ensure clarity and faithfulness. Every movement, every pause, and every word carried weight. The sanctuary became a place where local devotion and national witness met, united by the story of Christ’s coming.

Music, Resolve, and a Moment of Ingenuity
Music remained central to the service, as it always had at Myers Park Baptist Church. But live television carried real risk. Near the middle of the broadcast, an organ pipe malfunctioned, threatening to disrupt the service at a moment when there could be no interruption.

In response, choir member Paul Creasman acted immediately. Leaving his place in the choir, he found a ladder, climbed to the organ pipe, and—without tools—used his own billfold to plug the pipe. He then returned to his seat just as quickly, allowing the service to continue without pause.

The moment passed almost unnoticed by viewers, yet it revealed something essential about the church at that time: worship was sustained not by perfection, but by commitment and readiness to serve.

A Sermon That Traveled Far
At the heart of the service was Dr. Marney’s sermon, which resonated far beyond Christmas Eve itself. In the days that followed, responses arrived from across the nation. Some wrote with congratulations, others with gratitude. There were letters filled with appreciation for clarity and depth, letters asking questions prompted by the message, and letters expressing concern—evidence that the sermon had not merely been heard, but seriously engaged.

The range of responses reflected the power of the moment. The message had reached people where they were, stirring reflection, dialogue, and sometimes discomfort. For Myers Park Baptist Church, this was a tangible sign of what it meant to speak publicly and faithfully—to be heard, and also to be answered.

The Meaning of Being Chosen
That Myers Park Baptist Church was selected for this Christmas Eve broadcast was no small distinction. It affirmed a reputation for thoughtful worship, strong preaching, and theological integrity. More importantly, it placed a responsibility on the congregation: to represent the church not narrowly, but generously—to speak in a way that invited reflection rather than division.

The calm handling of unforeseen challenges, the strength of the music, and the response to the sermon all point to a congregation prepared for that responsibility.

Remembering 1965
Through the lens of time, the Christmas Eve broadcast stands as a defining moment in 1965. It gathered together worship, leadership, readiness, and faith—and carried them outward with care. The night revealed a congregation confident in its calling, steady under pressure, and willing to speak clearly to a nation listening closely.

What was shared that evening did not end with the benediction. It continued in letters, conversations, and lasting memory—a witness offered once, and remembered long after.