King of Kings (also referred to as Touchdown Jesus) 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 Christianmegachurch near Monroe, Ohio, in the United States. It was destroyed by a lightning strike and subsequent fire on June 14, 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]
A replacement statue, called Lux Mundi, was assembled and dedicated on the site in September 2012.
Construction
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, 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] Coriell donated some of his time to the project.[3]
Popularity and nicknames
The statue was given many nicknames, both affectionate and derisive, by local residents and I-75 travelers. Among them were:
Touchdown Jesus (based on a similarity to the mural on the Hesburgh Library overlooking Notre Dame Stadium; American football referees signal a touchdown with a similar gesture)[1]
Singer-songwriter Robbie Schaefer of the band Eddie from Ohio wrote the song "Monroe, OH" after driving past the statue.[6]
The statue was also a popular photographic subject for fans of The Ohio State University, who would align Jesus' upraised arms as the "H" when spelling out "O-H-I-O".[7]
Destruction
On June 14, 2010, the statue was struck by lightning and consumed in the resulting blaze.[8] The fire consumed all but the internal metal structure.[2] Following the fire, the pastor of the church stated that the church planned to rebuild the statue with fireproof material.[9][10] In the days after the destruction, the church's digital sign displayed the message "He'll be back".[11]
Although the statue cost about $250,000 to construct, it was insured for $500,000 because Coriell had donated his time to the creation.[3] It was estimated that the statue and amphitheater sustained an estimated $700,000 in damages – $300,000 for the statue and $400,000 for the amphitheater.[11][12]PETA offered funding through an "anonymous Christian donor" to help rebuild the statue if allowed to promote veganism at the church.[13]
Construction of a 52-foot (16 m) replacement statue with a substantially different design began in June 2012. The new statue, called Lux Mundi, was assembled on the site on September 19, 2012, and dedicated on September 30, 2012.[14][15]
