One of the joys of being a Christian is taking part in Christian fellowship, and opportunities to do so are ever abundant – especially around Christmastime. For two decades, church groups from throughout South Carolina and other states have flocked to Myrtle Beach to see “The Carolina Opry Christmas Special.”

From the humble beginning of a one-week run when The Carolina Opry first opened in 1986, “The Carolina Opry Christmas Special” has blossomed into the South’s premier holiday musical production and now runs two full months.

Shirley Howie-Garrett, owner of Sunshine Travel in Lancaster and a member of Pleasant Dale Baptist Church, has been sending groups to The Carolina Opry since the venue first opened. Her company plans travel itineraries for all types of groups, from senior citizens to church groups. “Ninety-five percent of the people we work with want to see The Carolina Opry,” she says.

Church groups are among the most ardent fans, particularly of the Christmas show. “It’s good, wholesome entertainment – they love it,” says Howie-Garrett. “The performers are as fine as any I’ve seen in New York, and the quality has remained consistent throughout the years.”

Theresa Krieg, director of group sales at the Opry, says “The Carolina Opry Christmas Special” has become a tradition for scores of church groups. “Many of our churches come every year. It’s a part of their Christmas tradition.”

The South Carolina Senior Adult Baptist Convention, held each March in Myrtle Beach, has spawned another Opry tradition. “We do a special matinee for that convention every year,” says Krieg.

Krieg has been with the showplace since day one and has built relationships with group travel leaders throughout the country. Her husband Richard was the Opry’s first general manager, serving until 17 years ago, when he was called as pastor at Greenwood Baptist Church, Conway.

It should come as no surprise that the show embraced so enthusiastically by Baptists and other church groups was the dream of a young man raised in the Baptist faith. Calvin Gilmore, who created The Carolina Opry and simultaneously gave Myrtle Beach its first entertainment theater, grew up in the tiny farming community of Candock, Mo., and attended Candock Baptist Church. His love of singing took root in that church, which his father helped build, and he sang his very first solo there. He says Candock Baptist laid the foundation for him to become a successful musician and the originator of The Carolina Opry.

To this day, Gilmore still loves the songs he grew up with, and he weaves them into both the regular Carolina Opry show and the Christmas show. He takes the stage many nights at the Opry, singing and playing guitar, and he has performed several times on a stage most country artists only dream about: the Grand Ole Opry. He has several recordings under his belt and one in the works. Among them is a gospel CD called “There is a Fountain.”

“The gospel album was produced by one of my favorite songwriters, Archie Jordan,” says Gilmore. “When I was living in Missouri and singing in church, I used to sing his songs. I never dreamed he would produce an album for me.”

Now a member of Pawleys Island Community Church, Gilmore says he wants “The Carolina Opry Christmas Special” to capture the “warm, down-home feeling” of Christmases past. “People want to hear the songs they grew up with. It’s nice to have a new one thrown in now and then, but for the most part they want to hear songs they’ve always listened to at Christmas.”

Audiences also want to have fun, Gilmore says, and that can only happen if the cast has fun, something he encourages wholeheartedly.

But when the curtain goes up, “the most important thing about the show is the true meaning of Christmas, and that’s something we certainly strive to convey,” Gilmore says. “I don’t know if that’s politically correct or not, but I don’t care. That’s what it’s all about for us, and I think that’s why we have such a loyal following.”

To learn more about “The Carolina Opry Christmas Special,” between Nov. 3 and Dec. 31, call (800) 633-1508.