Stirring music, first light, enthrall Easter crowd of 2,300

The Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island has sponsored an Easter Sunrise Service for 53 years, and judging by Sunday’s turnout at The Manatee County Public Beach, the event is gaining steam, not losing it.

The 2017 crowd once again seemed to delight when the reliable sun finally peeked over the Beach Cafe while local singer Morgan Lawson, who has performed the National Anthem at Pittsburgh Pirates games, breathed new life into the hymns, “Because He Lives” and “Christ Arose,” accompanied by keyboardist Koko Ray Hansen, who has the talent to play two saxophones at the same time.

Although Hansen, who has been playing rock and roll, jazz and blues in the Bradenton area since 1999, did not pull the two-saxophone trick on Sunday, the crowd did get to see Father Matthew Grunfeld of Episcopal Church of the Annunciation give a crystal clear invocation, Dave “Watchdog” Miner deliver a poignant prayer for the military, and The Rev. Stephen King of Harvey Memorial Church get the blood moving by roaring, “He has risen!”

Many left the beach with Lawson’s performance lingering in their hearts, including Hansen.

“(Lawson) was phenomenal,” Hansen said. “Her range and intonation were spot on. I haven’t played much church music and she helped me. Her voice is an amazing gift.”

A sound man rarely gets credit, but on Sunday Chuck Caudill’s sound system was so efficient, it enabled everyone to clearly hear both words and song throughout the service, Hansen said.

“Chuck did a show with me and at that show he asked me if I was interested in doing this,” Hansen said. “I said yes.”

Although it’s impossible to tell the stories of all 2,300 attendees, Betty Vollen, 86, who came to the service from Pasco County, may be representative of the passion that many feel for the story of Easter, when Bible scripture says Jesus rose again after his crucifixion.

“Oh, yes,” Vollen replied when asked if Jesus was working in her life. “I know because he is there. He’s seen me through a bunch of things, and he has blessed me with many, many things. He’s always there.”

Easter service started out small

The sunrise service started out with just a few attending more than five decades ago but has steadily grown year by year, said Robyn Kinkopf, Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island president.

“It’s incomparable,” Kinkopf said. “Very spiritual. Very beautiful.”

Lauri Harris, who recently moved to the area from Dallas, was experiencing her first Easter Sunrise Service on Sunday. She was emotional just trying to describe it.

“The songs, the atmosphere, just being out here,” Harris said.

Miner, a school board member, said the service was perfect.

“Much more than we expected because a lot of snowbirds have gone back (north),” Miner said. “It was a beautiful day with a beautiful service bringing together all of the churches on the island. It was an emotional, inspirational, wonderful day.”

The crowd also got an insert in the program prepared by The Rev. Ed Moss of Crosspointe Fellowship and his staff supplying Bible verses regarding Christ’s resurrection.

The passionate Moss, whose sermon was titled, “The Cross and the Resurrection,” urged the crowd to go to the Bible and read more about the crucifixion and resurrection using the verses as a guide.

The crowd put dollars into buckets held by volunteers with the State College of Florida Collegiate Key Club during an offering, and Kinkopf said the estimated $6,000 to $7,000 that is raised annually is divided among the six churches on Anna Maria Island and the Kiwanis Club.

The six churches include Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, Harvey Memorial, Roser Community, Gloria Dei Lutheran, St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic and Crosspointe Fellowship.

“The churches take that money and have the option to do whatever they want with it as long as it is supporting youth,” Kinkopf said.

This story was originally published April 16, 2017 at 4:36 PM with the headline "Stirring music, first light, enthrall Easter crowd of 2,300."