NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (WJBF) – A holiday tradition has returned to North Augusta.
For 26 years, Return to Bethlehem has transformed Grace United Methodist Church into a village complete with merchants, musicians and over 100 costumed characters. According to the church, it’s described as an immersive experience that invites the public to take a step back in time and experience the story of Jesus’ birth.
“This is our gift to the community, this is Grace Church’s gift to the community. We’ve been doing it over 20 years now,” said Ken McDowell, member of the Grace United Methodist Church. “It’s been a long time. Now we have the drive from 6 to 6:30 and the walkthrough after that until about 8:30ish. I hope they take away the gift of the birth of Jesus. We try to tell that story and actually as the wise men, we summarize the story at the end and then they go to the manger. I hope there is a little bit of awe in there, a little bit of wonder and a whole lot of joy.”…