King of Kings (statue)

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

King of Kings was a 62-foot (19 m)-tall statue of Jesus on the east side of Interstate 75 at the Solid Rock Church, a 4000+ member Christian megachurch near Monroe, Ohio, in the United States. It was destroyed by a lightning strike and subsequent fire on June 15, 2010.

Located on the Interstate-facing side of the church's outdoor amphitheater, the statue was set on an island at the head of the church's baptismal pool, flanked by fountains and lit by colored spotlights.[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 cross at its base.[2] The completed statue weighed 16,000 pounds (7,000 kg).[1]

Contents

Construction[edit]

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

Constructed on a metal frame or armature manufactured in nearby Lebanon, Ohio, the sculpted figure itself was created in Jacksonville, Florida, then trucked north.[1] The main body of the statue was made from a core of Styrofoam covered by a thin skin of fiberglass.[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 the church,[4] and Coriell donated some of his time to the project.[3]

Popularity and nicknames[edit]

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


The statue is also credited with inspiring two musical works:

Destruction[edit]

On June 15, 2010, the statue was struck by lightning and consumed in the resulting blaze.[6] The statue was sculpted using a thin skin of fiberglass over a flammable styrofoam interior 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,[7] but now using fireproof material.[8] In the days after the destruction, the church's digital sign had the message "He'll be back" running.[9] 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] The damage to the statue and amphitheater was estimated at $700,000 with $300,000 being for the statue and $400,000 for the amphitheater.[9][10] PETA has offered funding through an "anonymous Christian donor" to help rebuild the statue if they are allowed to promote veganism at the church.[11]

Being Rebuilt[edit]

Main article: Lux Mundi (statue)

In June 2012, it was reported on WLWT.com, a local Cincinnati news station, that Solid Rock Church was beginning construction on the replacement statue. However the design will be different from the original "Touchdown Jesus"; the new 52-foot statue called Lux Mundi will be "...a full-bodied Jesus with arms reaching out, as if beckoning". [12] [13]

On September 19, 2012, the new statue was assembled on the site. [14] Lux Mundi was dedicated on September 30, 2012. [15]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Maag, Chris (2005-11-18). "Giant Jesus statue keeps watch over Ohio interstate". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-07. 
  2. ^ a b c "Lightning Razes 'King Of Kings' Statue". Cincinnati, Ohio: WLWT. 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2010-06-15. 
  3. ^ a b c Morse, Janice (2010-06-16). "'Touchdown Jesus' statue's destruction brings flood of donations". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
  4. ^ "62-Foot Jesus Along I-75 Gaining Giant Attention". WLWT News 5. 2004-11-24. 
  5. ^ Robbie Schaefer, Strange and Lovely World
  6. ^ "King of Kings statue destroyed by fire". kypost.com. 
  7. ^ "Statue of Jesus destroyed by lightning strike". WXIX-TV "Fox 19". 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2010-06-15. 
  8. ^ "Lightning strike destroys Touchdown Jesus statue". The Guardian (London). Associated Press. 2010-06-16. 
  9. ^ a b "Lightning Razes 'King Of Kings' Statue; 'He'll Be Back'". WLWT Cincinnati (Hearst Television, Inc). 5 June 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2010. 
  10. ^ Baker, Jennifer (2010-06-16). "'Touchdown Jesus' fire leads to few gawking tickets". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
  11. ^ Grossman, Cathy Lynn (22 June 2010). "PETA offers to rebuild, brand Jesus statue: Next offer, NRA?". USA Today (Gannett Company). Retrieved 14 July 2010. 
  12. ^ "2 years after fire, Jesus statue returns". 18 June 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012. 
  13. ^ "Construction progressing on new Jesus statue along I-75". WCPO. June 15 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-07. 
  14. ^ McCrabb, Rick (19 September 2012). "Giant Jesus landmark returns to I-75". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved 20 September 2012. 
  15. ^ "52 foot Jesus replaces predecessor". Cincinnati.com. 2012-19-09. Retrieved 2012-26-09. 

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 39°27′14″N 84°19′35″W / 39.453857°N 84.32642°W / 39.453857; -84.32642

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