king of kings statue destroyed by fire

8/7/2019 King of Kings statue destroyed by fire

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King of Kings (statue)

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King of Kings before it was destroyed by a fire caused by alightning strike in June 2010

King of Kings was a 62-foot (19 m)-tall statue ofJesus onthe east side ofInterstate 75 at the Solid Rock Church, a

4000+ memberChristianmegachurch nearMonroe, Ohio, inthe United States. It was destroyed by a lightning strike andsubsequent fire on June 15, 2010.

Located on the Interstate-facing side of the church's outdooramphitheater, the statue was set onan island at the head of the church's baptismal pool, flanked by fountains and lit by coloredspotlights.

[1]It depicted Jesus from the chest up, with his arms and head raised to the sky. The

statue had a 42-foot (13 m) span between its upraised hands and a 40-foot (12 m) Christian crossat its base.[2] The completed statue weighed 16,000 pounds (7,000 kg).[1]

Construction

It was designed by Brad Coriell,[3] sculpted by James Lynch, and assembled by Mark Mitten.

Constructed on a metal frame orarmature manufactured in nearby Lebanon, Ohio, the sculptedfigure itself was created in Jacksonville, Florida, then trucked north.[1] The main body of thestatue was made from a core ofStyrofoam covered by a thin skin offiberglass.[1][2]

The sculpted statue was completed in September 2004 at a cost of approximately $250,000.[1]Money for its construction came from earmarked donations and not from the general funds of thechurch,[4] and Coreill donated some of his time to the project.[3]

Popularity and nicknames

Since its construction, the statue has been given many nicknames, both affectionate and derisive,by local residents and I-75 travelers. Among them are:

Big Butter Jesus (for its buttery color and thefact it appears to be melting into the water)

[5]

Big J[1] Touchdown Jesus (American football referees

signal a touchdown with a similar gesture)[1][5]

Super Jesus[1]

MC 62-Foot Jesus (like musician MC 900Ft. Jesus)

[1]

Drowning Jesus (Only part of Jesus' torsois depicted above the water)

[5]

Swamp Jesus [6] Terminator Jesus (since it burnt down

and is left with just the wire framework)

The statue is also credited with inspiring two musical works:

Comedian Heywood Banks wrote and performed his novelty song "Big Butter Jesus" about thestatue.[1]


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Singer-songwriter Robbie Schaefer of the band Eddie from Ohio wrote the song "Monroe, OH"after driving past the statue.

[7]

Destruction

On June 15, 2010 the statue was struck by lightning and suffered major damage in the resultingblaze.[8] The statue was sculpted using a thin skin offiberglass over a flammable styrofoaminterior stabilized by a metal frame,[2] and the fire left only its internal metal structure.

Following the fire, the pastor of the church stated that they plan to have the statue rebuilt,[9] butnow using fireproof material.[10] In the days after the destruction, the church's digital sign had themessage "He'll be back" running.

[11]Although the statue cost about $250,000 to construct, it was

insured for $500,000 because the artist, Brad Coriell, had donated his time to the creation.[3] Thedamage to the statue and amphitheater was estimated at $700,000 with $300,000 being for thestatue and $400,000 for the amphitheater.[11][12]PETA has offered funding through an'anonymous Christian donor' to help rebuild the statue if they are allowed to promote veganism at

the church.

[13]

References

1.^ abcdefghijMaag, Chris (2005-11-18). "Giant Jesus statue keeps watch over Ohio interstate".New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/17/national/17statue.html?_r=1&emc=eta1. Retrieved

2010-05-07.

2.^ abc"Lightning Razes 'King Of Kings' Statue". Cincinnati, Ohio: WLWT. 2010-06-15.http://www.wlwt.com/news/23900484/detail.html. Retrieved 2010-06-15.

3.^ abcMorse, Janice (2010-06-16). "'Touchdown Jesus' statue's destruction brings flood ofdonations". Cincinnati.com.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100616/NEWS01/6170324/Donations-roll-in-for-new-

Jesus-statue. Retrieved 2010-06-17.

4.^"62-Foot Jesus Along I-75 Gaining Giant Attention". WLWT News 5. 2004-11-24.http://www.wlwt.com/news/3950572/detail.html.

5.^ abcGiant Jesus Statue, Monroe, Ohio. Roadside America6.^"O-H-I-O". 2007-03-29. http://markdaniels.blogspot.com/2007/03/o-h-i-o.html. Retrieved

2010-06-15.

7.^ Robbie Schaefer, Strange and Lovely World8.^"King of Kings statue destroyed by fire". kypost.com.

http://www.kypost.com/dpp/news/region_north_cincinnati/monroe/king-of-kings-statue-

destroyed-by-fire1276594072148.

9.^"Statue of Jesus destroyed by lightning strike". WXIX-TV"Fox 19". 2010-06-15.http://www.fox19.com/Global/story.asp?S=12649244. Retrieved 2010-06-15.

10.^"Lightning strike destroys Touchdown Jesus statue". The Guardian. Associated Press. 2010-06-16. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/16/touchdown-jesus-statue-burns-down.

11.^ ab"Lightning Razes 'King Of Kings' Statue; 'He'll Be Back'". WLWT Cincinnati(Hearst Television,Inc). 5 June 2010. http://www.wlwt.com/news/23900484/detail.html. Retrieved 14 July 2010.


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12.^ Baker, Jennifer (2010-06-16). "'Touchdown Jesus' fire leads to few gawking tickets".Cincinnati.com. http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100616/NEWS01/306170005. Retrieved

2010-06-17.

13.^ Grossman, Cathy Lynn (22 June 2010). "PETA offers to rebuild, brand Jesus statue: Next offer,NRA?". USA Today(Gannett Company).

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2010/06/peta-nra-touchdown-jesus-

/1. Retrieved 14 July 2010.

Heaven-bound: Giant Jesus Statue

NEWSFLASH!! During a storm on June 14, 2010, the giant "King of Kings" styrofoam

and fiberglass Jesus statue was struck by lightning and burst into flames. The statue was

reported to have been completely destroyed.

Before that meteorological portent, this was our visit story:


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Jesus has risen near the interstate north of Cincinnati. A 62-ft. high sculpture of Christ appears toexplode from the dirt behind the amphitheater at Monroe's Solid Rock Church. From the waistdown, he's underground....

Enormous flea markets on both sides of highways at this exit

make for large weekend traffic jams. Traders World is rightnext door. But Jesus faces west towards I-75 -- highly visible -- and you'd be crazy not to get off at the first off-ramp toworship and snap a photo.

The Big J. is a symbol of devotion for the congregation of3,000 at Solid Rock, a nondenominational mega-church.Pastor Lawrence Bishop presides; his wife Darlene alsofounded the church and she evangelizes with her own tidy setof ministries. You can buy Darlene's new book, "Your LifeFollows Your Words," orhear the Fire Choir"Worship on

Fire" to get a sense of what you're missing inside.

Outside, artist James Lynch was commissioned to render afiberglass and styrofoam over metal frame depiction of Christ

after the Resurrection looming over the Baptismal Pool.The figure was completed in September 2004.

Lynch has created other larger-than-life sculpture in placessuch as Las Vegas (Caesar's big Neptune) and DisneyWorld. Church leaders believe it is the World's LargestChrist (or at least the W.L. half-buried Messiah) and have

submitted it for consideration for a Guinness WorldRecord.

The pose of the statue as generated plenty of discussion.The upraised arms familiar to "praise" service attendeesconjures different images for locals, who refer to the bigSavior as "Touchdown Jesus," or "Drowning Jesus."

Soon after the statue's completion, tipster Lori Baker wroteus: "I found it interesting that a poll taken of locals concerning the statue of Jesus in Monroe hadthe following results: 25% feel that it is a 'Godsend, good for Monroe,' while 75% found that itwas an 'Eyesore, bad for Monroe.'"

October 2006: The statue continues to accumulate nicknames, and is the subject of a noveltysong by comedian Heywood Banks, "Big Butter Jesus." The song reminds all to "Spread theword."


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April 2005: The pond has been filled, and the landscaping completed, making the giant Jesusappear as if rising from the waters. This is a dramatic spot for Solid Rock baptisms, visible fromthe highway.

It may also attract passing heathens, caught in the act of

"High Five"-ing the Lord. We're sure that's fine with thechurch -- they know their Mega-Message reaches peoplein many ways.

September, 2004: Monroe, Ohio's Super Savior nearly complete.


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Lightning strike destroys Touchdown Jesus

statue

Familiar Ohio landmark reduced to blackened steel skeleton after being struck by lightning

The King of Kingsstatue at the SolidRock church inMonroe, Ohio, beforeand during the fire thatdestroyed it.Photograph: NickGraham/AP andTiffani West-May/AP

A six-storey statue ofJesus Christ in amidwestern US citywas struck by lightningand burned to the

ground, leaving only a blackened steel skeleton and pieces of foam that were scooped up bycurious onlookers yesterday.

The King of Kings statue, one of south-westOhio's most familiar landmarks, had stood

since 2004 at the evangelical Solid Rockchurch along the Interstate 75 highway inMonroe, just north of Cincinnati.

The lightning strike set the statue ablaze

around 11.15 pm on Monday night, Monroepolice said.

The sculpture, about 19 metres (62 feet) tall and12 metres wide at the base, showed the figure ofJesus from the torso up and was nicknamed


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Touchdown Jesus because of the way the arms were raised, similar to a referee signalling atouchdown in American football. It was made of plastic foam and fibreglass over a steel frame,which was all that remained yesterday.

The fire spread from the statue to an adjacent amphitheatre but was confined to the attic, and noone was injured, police chief Mark Neu said.

Damage from the fire was estimated at $700,000 (474,000): $300,000 for the statue alone and$400,000 for the amphitheatre, fire station officer Richard Mascarella said.

Some people were scooping up pieces of the statue's foam from the nearby pond to take homewith them, said Darlene Bishop, a church co-pastor. "This meant a lot to a lot of people," shesaid.

Bishop said the statue would be rebuilt. "It will be back, but this time we are going to try forsomething fireproof."


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Statue of Jesus destroyed by lightning strikePosted: Jun 15, 2010 9:00 AM PST Tuesday, June 15, 2010 12:00 AM ESTUpdated: Aug 19, 2010

MONROE, OH (FOX19) - An iconic and massive statue of Jesus in Monroe, OH was destroyedafter being struck by lightning Monday night.

The six-story statue was a well-knownlandmark on Interstate 75 since 2004, andwas called "King of Kings" by membersof Solid Rock Church, where it stood.

The lightning strike set the statueablaze just after 11 p.m., Monroe policedispatchers said.

The 62-foot tall and 40-foot wide statueweighing 16,000 pounds quickly becameengulfed in flames after the lightningstrike. Fire crews were on the scene forseveral hours to put out the fire, but no one was injured.

The statue, also nicknamed "Touchdown Jesus" because of the way its arms were outstretched, ismade out of wood and Styrofoam. The statue also had a steel frame anchored in concrete andfiberglass. The steel frame was all that remained after the fire. According to 911 calls, thelightning struck the right hand of the statue.

The fire spread to the attic of an adjacent amphitheater, but no other buildings at the church wereaffected. Fire chief Mark Neu says the fire caused $700,000 in damage to the statue andamphitheater. Neu says he believes the church has insurance.

The statue was scheduled to undergo a new paint job this summer after suffering some wear andtear during the harsh winter.

The pastor of Solid Rock Church says thechurch does plan to rebuild the statue.

Travelers on Interstate 75 often were startledto come upon the huge statue by theroadside, but many said America needs moresymbols like it. So many people stopped atthe church campus that church officials hadto build a walkway to accommodate them.

Monday a constant stream of passersby andvisitors stopped both on the highway and on the walkway at the foot of the statue to see the


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damage for themselves. Many had never been to the church before. They simply drove by thestatue every day and wanted to see what was left it after the lightning strike.

For some visitors the lightning strike andfire was a sign from God.

"Things happen for a reason and younever know the reason," said Ruth Clark.

Deborah Hooks spent a few days at aconference at Solid Rock Church.

"To see this my heart really goes out tothe members and the pastor," said Hooks."People need to stay focused and seeGod's hand in all of this. There's

something good in all of this still."

For others, it was simple physics thatdestroyed the King of Kings statue.

"It was made out of fiberglass and steel.Mother nature, mother nature," said ErikLarkin, who passes the statue as hecommutes to and from school.

Like it or not, everyone visiting

anticipates what the Solid Rock Churchwill do to replace what it lost.

The 4,000-member, nondenominationalchurch was founded by former horsetrader Lawrence Bishop and his wife. Bishop said in 2004 he was trying to help people, notimpress them, with the statue. He said his wife proposed the Jesus figure as a beacon of hope andsalvation and they spent about $250,000 to finance it.


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On Ohio Flatland, a Megachurch's Eye-

Catcher Dominates

By CHRIS MAAGPublished: November 17, 2005

MONROE, Ohio - Jesus first appears in a flash, a white statue rising from the flat cornfields 40miles north of Cincinnati. Then he is gone, hidden behind a gas station.

Mike Simons for The New York Times

The Jesus statue in Monroe, Ohio, is 62 feet tall and weighs eighttons.

Drive another quarter-mile up Interstate 75, past the billboards forBristol's Strip Club and Trader's World Flea Market, and suddenlythe image appears in all its full dimensions. Jesus, depicted fromthe waist up, is six stories tall and seems to burst from the ground,as if he might gather a tractor-trailer in his Honda-size hands andlift it to heaven.

After dark, the figure is illuminated by spotlights from below. "Itsort of looms out at you, especially at night," said Aaron Andrews, a trucker from Milwaukee.

The statue, erected in 2003, was the inspiration of Lawrence and Darlene Bishop, evangelicalChristian pastors of the 3,400-member Solid Rock Church here, which spent $250,000 on aproject that did not go smoothly.

The image's steel frame was built in nearby Lebanon, Ohio, and the body, made of Styrofoamand fiberglass, on the beach in Jacksonville, Fla. The body was then trucked north. But whenworkers started installing the statue on an island in a man-made reflecting pool behind thechurch, they found that the head and arms were too small for the chest.

The builder, James Lynch, then spent three months ripping the fiberglass apart and recasting theoutstretched arms and upturned face. The completed figure weighs 16,000 pounds and, at 62 feet,

stands 20 feet taller than originally planned, though its skin is so thin that it bends to the touch ofa finger.

Some congregants say the statue keeps watch over a section of freeway that was once among themost dangerous in Ohio. Twelve people died along that 15-mile stretch of I-75 in the two yearsbefore the image was erected, eight of them killed after cars jumped the median into oncomingtraffic. Since the statue went up more than two years ago, there have been no such crossoverdeaths.


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"Can't too much go wrong next to a big statue of Jesus," said one member of the church, JamesNelms, 23.

Officials at the Ohio Department of Transportation attribute the improved safety to a $1.1-million high-tension cable that the department built in the freeway's median about the time,

coincidentally, that the statue was erected. Cars have hit the cable 183 times since then, and inthree of those cases, crashes have occurred within three-tenths of a mile of the church.

There is also a running disagreement over the statue's name. Postcards for sale in the church'sgift shop refer to it as the King of Kings. Many locals call it Touchdown Jesus, since, a bit likethe famed mural at the University of Notre Dame, it resembles a robed and bearded refereesignaling a score at the goal line. Others call it Super Jesus, MC 62ft Jesus (for thetechnomusician of a similar name) or simply Big J.

The Bishops' original idea was for a sculpture of Jesus that was no larger than life-size. That itturned into something much bigger than envisioned was entirely apt, given the couple's own

lives.

Mr. Bishop, now 63, was born in the Appalachian village of Zag, Ky. He bought his first horsefor $25 at the age of 10 and, though it was blind, sold it for $250 and went on to become one ofthe nation's biggest quarter horse dealers.

He opened Solid Rock Church with 12 members above a fire station in 1978. Together with hiswife, he built it into a megachurch on a 100-acre campus with its own Bible college and musicamphitheater.

Four years ago Mr. Bishop wrote his first song, for church. Now he has recorded five hits. On

Nov. 10, he went to Nashville to perform at the Christian Country Music Awards Show. He wasnominated for three awards, and won one of them, as music evangelist of the year.

As for Mrs. Bishop, who dropped out of high school at 17 to marry him, she now has her ownChristian talk show for women, called "Sisters," which appears nationally seven days a week onvarious cable television channels.

Solid Rock Church, with its atmosphere of unplanned gigantism, is one of the few places where a62-foot statue of Jesus could fit right in. In March, the Bishops squeezed a 1,000-seat balconyinto their worship hall to accommodate all the new members who have joined their rapidlygrowing church in the last two years.

"God ordained all of this to happen," Mr. Bishop said. "I never even wanted to be a preacher."


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king of kings statue destroyed by fire

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