BRANSON – Marilyn Dunn loves what she does – especially at Christmastime. For 11 years, she’s been the worship services pianist at the Silver Dollar City theme park’s Wilderness Church in Branson.
“I didn’t apply for it. I was offered an opportunity, and I took it,” she said.
Dunn is the wife of Pastor Monty Dunn of Friendly Baptist Church, Branson, and she has been a pianist at College of the Ozarks for a number of years. The couple have five children.
Marilyn feels at home behind the keyboard.
“We do four hymn sing-a-longs daily, and on Sunday we do two worship services for guests and one for employees before the park opens. It’s beautiful. I’m humbled and honored to do this.”
As of mid-November, there had been guests from 47 states—excluding only Vermont, Rhode Island and New Hampshire—and more than 20 foreign countries that attended an SDC theme park worship service this year.
“Some are good singers. Some are not. It’s a grainy picture, an imperfect snapshot of us around the throne of God from all the nations, and we praise God. The Lord inhabits the praises of his people,” she said.
The sing-a-longs are on a pretty strict schedule like the other shows in the park.
“I start with a few from the hymnals and open it to what the congregation wants. They can choose any in the hymnbook—Christmas, Easter, patriotic. Some people come and go in the worship.”
Dunn also shares some of the stories behind the hymns or talks through phrases of songs that people may overlook while focusing on singing them.
“I use the phrases to encourage the people in their faith walk.”
On Sundays, an SDC corporate chaplain offers a message to workers. Two guest services have music and a message, currently handled by substitute speakers.
Christmas time in Branson is a popular time to visit the tourist city.
“We have Santa, and Rudolph, and Tinker the talking Christmas tree, but we have Jesus prominent (at SDC),” she said. “In the parade float we focus on the baby Jesus. There is a living nativity at the Dockside Theatre four times a day, and we have the Spoken For gospel group. Dickens’ Christmas Carol is here.”
As far as the Christmas worship services, only the sacred Christmas hymns are sung. Some of the Christmas hymns are accompanied with stories and facts.
“‘Joy to the World’ was not written as a Christmas song, but as a second coming song of Jesus, and ‘Silent Night’ has 26,000 versions on Spotify,” Dunn listed as examples of music facts.
“We focus on Christ at Christmas. Yes, he was born in a barn. Except for the angels greeting the shepherds, it wasn’t a worldwide announcement. But he’s still the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, even if he was in the manger.”
At the Wilderness Church—which Marilyn said is a church without a board or committee—people with needs are common.
“One lady was expecting a call from a cancer doctor and wanted to be here when the call came. People call this a place of peace, and for some people this is their happy place. I’m privileged to pray with a lot of people with (life) issues, health issues,” she said.
During COVID, the park was shut down for a month and worship was moved to the entrance of the park. She was often joined by members of Street Troupe, who wanted to sing hymns with her even if they didn’t know them. Sometimes a contemporary song is added. Sometimes Street Troupe joins her at the hymn sings.
In sharing hymn stories, Dunn notes that at some time in history, the hymns were “contemporary music.”
“The church needs to be open to what God is doing with this generation, but also what he has done through past generations. Music wars are a very sad thing,” she said.
But when it comes to Silver Dollar City worship, Marilyn Dunn sees God at work.
“I love it, love it. It’s such a blessing that God has allowed me to do this,” she said.