About the statue
- Original cost to build statue was estimated at $250,000.
- Damage estimate for the statue and the nearby amphitheater is about $700,000.
- The statue was 62 feet tall and weighed 8 tons.
- Construction began in June 2004.
- Designed by Brad Coriell, Nashville artist and Dayton native.
- Built by sculptor James Lynch of Florida.
- Funded by Lawrence and Darlene Bishop, pastors of the Solid Rock Church.
The 62-foot-tall statue of Jesus visible from Interstate 75 continued to stir controversy even after burning to the ground.
Within hours after the Solid Rock Church landmark was struck by lightning Monday night, June 14, it attracted national news attention, dominated worldwide social media sites and Internet searches, and drew gawking motorists who clogged I-75 to get a closer look.
The “King of Kings” statue’s notoriety didn’t start with Monday’s fire, which destroyed the statue in a few minutes.
Travelers on I-75 often were startled to come upon the statue. So many people stopped at the church campus that church leaders said they built a walkway to accommodate them. It has been a conversation starter, the subject of jokes and nicknames ranging from “Touchdown Jesus” to “Big Butter Jesus.”
Now, much of the conversation centers on whether the church should rebuild it.
Church officials have been getting calls about the statue from across the United States and as far away as China. A pastor from South Africa and media from Canada and Russia have contacted the church to ask about plans for rebuilding, said Darlene Bishop, church co-pastor.
Many who stopped to take the statue’s picture Tuesday were sad, but others considered it a waste of money.
“I think about how many people they could have fed with that money and the good that could have been done in the community,” said Anna Corbin, a Dayton native who lives in Missouri and was visiting her daughter in Kettering.
Twelve-year Solid Rock member Susan Waddell, 42, of Middletown called the statue a beacon that has brought countless to Jesus.
“If one person is saved from it, it is worth any kind of money,” Waddell said. “If it causes people to think about Jesus, it’s a good thing. It’s all people are talking about nonstop.”
Added Bishop: “It’s such a monument. It’s like people know Monroe by the statue of Jesus. It’s important that we rebuild.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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