CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – An Easter service at UTC’s McKenzie Arena brought thousands together Easter morning as part of the Rise Up at the Roundhouse event.
The gathering, presented by Red Bank Baptist Church and The Point Church at Signal Mountain, featured Willie Robertson, star of Duck Dynasty, as the guest speaker.
The free event welcomed community members for a morning centered on faith, hope, and the Easter message.
The atmosphere included moments of humor, as Senior Pastor Dr. Sam Greer joined Robertson on stage and attempted a duck call.
“I am pretty confident that will not call a duck anywhere. In fact, it might scare everything away,” Robertson joked.
Beyond the laughter, Robertson shared what he described as the most important message.
“For Jesus to give us these instructions to go out and make disciples, that is where my mission comes from. That is why I am here this morning. This is part of that calling,” Robertson said.
Dr. Sam Greer said the event was designed to reach people who may not typically attend church.
“Our vision was not just for churchgoers to come. We wanted to reach people who do not have a church home or who are curious about faith. We wanted them to hear the good news, and I am overwhelmed by the response,” Greer said.
Greer said the message of Easter is especially important during uncertain times.
“There is a lot of bad news in the world, but we have the greatest news. The hope of the resurrection is found in Jesus. That is what we want people to hear,” Greer explained.
Organizers say they hope to make the event an annual tradition, continuing to bring the community together through a message of hope and renewal.
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