The Ninth Annual Community Easter Dawn Service drew close to 150 attendees to Morgan Park on Sunday, April 20, and reached nearly 3,000 viewers via Facebook Live.
First established in 2016, the service is organized by a coalition of seven local churches: Calvary A.M.E. Church, First Baptist Church, Glen Cove Christian Church, Iglesia Ciudad de Refugio, St. John’s of Lattingtown Episcopal Church, Iglesia Ciudad Casa de Dios Internacional and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
The bilingual, half-hour service—conducted in English and Spanish—began with “Amazing Grace,” played by bagpiper Robert Lynch, beneath a 17-foot cross on the beach.
Leading the service were Rev. Roger C. Williams of First Baptist Church, Pastor Raul Martinez of Iglesia Ciudad Casa de Dios Internacional, Pastor Tommy Lanham of Glen Cove Christian Church, and Rev. James E. Booker of Calvary A.M.E. Church.
“This gathering reminds us that we are one body in Christ, united across traditions and languages,” Booker said.
“Each year, this service lifts our spirits and renews our hope—not just for Easter, but for the days ahead,” Lanham said.
“There’s something truly powerful about gathering in the quiet of morning to celebrate faith,” shared Eleanor Rapelje, a lifelong Glen Cove resident.
The 10th annual service is set for April 5, 2026. A rebroadcast of this year’s service is available at www.Facebook.com/
Information submitted by Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews, elder and chair of the committee for the Easter Dawn Service
