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Olive Place Baptist Church, 3283 Olive Place, has a music-synchronized light show that runs from the first week of December to the beginning of January in Fort Worth. The effort is made by the church’s Christmas ministry and roots from a pastor’s hobby to create Christmas light displays. (Marissa Greene | Fort Worth Report)
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December is Eddie Worthy’s time to shine. 

Nestled on the western edge of Ridglea North, a block behind Westside landmark Archie’s Gardenland, is Olive Place Baptist Church. There, an under the radar music-synchronized Christmas light show happens every night from the first week of December to the first week in January. 

About 150,000 individual lights made into Christmas trees, snowflakes and candy cane displays decorate the church. They flash and glimmer to the beat of songs like Mariah Carey’s holiday anthem, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Worthy’s grandchildren dance and sing in the grass while listening to “Let It Go,” a song from the Disney film “Frozen.” 

Worthy has been pastor of Olive Place for nearly 33 years. For about a third of his time leading the church, he has caught the attention of the neighborhood and others in the community through the Christmas light show he orchestrates each year. The effort is part of the church’s Christmas ministry, dedicated to bringing light and joy into the lives of congregation members, neighbors and the community during the holiday season. 

“Jesus is the light of the world, and I thought, ‘Well, we’ll just light the church up and hopefully people will recognize it,’” Worthy said. 

If you go

What: Olive Place Baptist Church Christmas light show

When: First week of December until first week of January

Where: 3283 Olive Place, Fort Worth  

Time: The hour-long shows run on a rotation cycle from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

A YouTube search turned into inspiration

Worthy’s hobby of creating Christmas light shows started in 2005 while he browsed YouTube. He saw a video of a holiday light display set up by an Ohio man named Carson Williams. The light show flickered in sync with the song “Wizards in Winter” by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which eventually became the band’s music video. 

Worthy was inspired by the video, but didn’t start researching how to make a light show until five years later. In 2010, he started joining Facebook groups and attending conferences that taught him how to produce Christmas lights synchronized to music, he said. 

He learned all about how different types of lightbulbs work, how to use DC controllers to manage light voltages and how to use programs like xLights so he can synchronize the music to the displays. 

Originally, Worthy thought about setting up the displays at his home, but was unsure people would see it because his house is at the end of a cul-de-sac. Worthy then pitched the idea of setting up the lights at the church. 

“I just simply told the people, ‘What would you think about us having a ministry that’s not evangelistic … but to let the community know that we’re a part of the community and we just want to share with them the joy of Christmas and lights,’” he said. 

Members of his church agreed, Worthy said, and his first attempt at the church’s Christmas lights display was in 2012. 

“The first year was really difficult,” Worthy said. “I don’t think I got started until the middle of December, and I remember it was so cold and we were hand-wrapping lights around the courtyard poles here at the church.” 

Olive Place Baptist Church

Established in 1952, Worthy describes Olive Place as a small neighborhood church with no more than a couple hundred members. The church’s slogan, “The place of second chances,” was created as a way to welcome a variety of people including those who’ve experienced divorce, family conflicts or did not have positive experiences with going to church in the past, Worthy said.

‘A labor of love’

The church’s Christmas light display has come a long way since Worthy’s early efforts. His displays and numbers of lights have increased over the years. He’s added an LED screen, where characters dance and sing to the songs playing on the speakers. 

Worthy tries to keep the music at a volume that won’t disrupt the neighborhood, he said. The pastor also has a screen that shows the radio station visitors can tune into if they want to listen to the music louder in their cars. 

Preparation is key to making it all work. One song takes about 30 hours to program, Worthy said. During his free time, Worthy programs songs year-round. 

After Halloween, he and a group of men from the church will begin to put the lights up. 

“I’ve learned along the way, and I can’t say it’s any easier,” Worthy said. “The more stuff I add, the more time it takes to put it up. It’s been a great learning experience, and I’ve always liked working with my hands.” 

Worthy spends anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 a year from his own pocket to fund the light show. He also has received donations from congregants and people outside of the church, he said. 

“I got sparked when I saw the Carson Williams video and I just kind of dreamed a little bit,” Worthy said. “But I made the dream a reality, and so I keep feeding that dream every year.” 

Dawn Worthy, Eddie’s wife, has supported her husband’s light shows each year. 

“This is his way to give back to the community,” Dawn said. “Some people have hobbies and they play golf, and his passion, besides preaching and church stuff, are these lights.” 

This holiday season marks the 11th year that Olive Place will have its Christmas light show. Although the displays have evolved over the years, the ministry’s mission to share that church and faith is the light of the world has remained the same, Worthy said. 

“These lights to me, it’s a representation that I want to get across to people that there’s a light that can last a whole lot longer than just a few minutes watching a single display before your eyes. There’s something behind it all that causes me to do it. I love people, and I want to give them a little bit of joy during the season.”

Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter @marissaygreene. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.