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Giant Jesus statue to feature 7-foot head

The frame was seen Tuesday, June 15, 2010 after the King of Kings statue was destroyed by an overnight fire caused by an apparent lightning strike at the Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio.

Staff file photo The frame was seen Tuesday, June 15, 2010 after the King of Kings statue was destroyed by an overnight fire caused by an apparent lightning strike at the Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio.

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The 62-foot King of Kings is pictured Tuesday, April 6, 2010 in front of Solid Rock Church in Monroe. It had been scheduled to undergo a makeover with 60 gallons of paint prior to the fire.June 14, 2010.

Gary Stelzer/Staff file photo The 62-foot King of Kings is pictured Tuesday, April 6, 2010 in front of Solid Rock Church in Monroe. It had been scheduled to undergo a makeover with 60 gallons of paint prior to the fire.June 14, 2010.

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Staff file photo Ron Carter, church administrator for Solid Rock Church, displays the model of the new statue "Come Unto Me" Monday, Nov 1, 2010. The new sculpture will replace the former "King of Kings" statue that was struck by lightning and burned.

By Denise Wilson and Richard Wilson
Staff Writer Updated 3:08 PM Wednesday, June 8, 2011

MONROE – It doesn’t take a miracle to build a weather- and fire-resistent 50-foot statue of Jesus, just a little technology, expertise and hard work.

Construction began Wednesday to replace the Jesus statue that was struck last June by lightning and burned down at the Solid Rock Church along Interstate 75. Video footage of the fire went viral on the Internet and gained the nondenominational church international attention.

The pond surrounding the location has been partially drained, exposing rocks and mud around the four-pillar concrete base of the old statue. Charred foam and other remnants of the old statue were being removed by workers Wednesday. The draining delayed the project about one month because of the record-breaking rainfall this spring, said church administrator Ron Carter.

“We’ve waited a long time. It’s gratifying to see it begin today,” he said.

Steve Brauch of Glasshand, LLC and sculptor Tom Tsuchiya are heading the project. The new statue will be made of steel, urethane foam and weather-resistent, moldable acrylic. Brauch said a lightning suppression system will be installed to channel potential strikes directly into the ground.

“The size of the sculpture is challenging in and of itself,” Brauch said. “It’s like building a building ... the process is no different than what we do all the time, it just happens to be 50-feet tall.”

The project started with a 28-inch model sculpted by Tsuchiya. The model was then digitally scanned into a computer file and scaled up to proportion. Tsuchiya said a company out of Dayton will fabricate and deliver the general shape and form of the 71/2 foot head and proportioned hands.

In about one month, under a tent on site, Tsuchiya said he will start to mold the head and hands and attach them to the entire piece.

“The head alone is bigger than any sculpture I’ve ever made before. The sheer size is incredible,” said Tsuchiya, who is working on a Johnny Bench statue to add to the others he’s sculpted at Great American Ball Park.

The old statue, colloquially named by locals as Touchdown or Big Butter Jesus, featured a cream-colored bust of the Messiah with his arms outstretched to the sky.

The new steel-framed statue will be of the entire body, with Jesus’ arms extending forward in a welcoming manner. A waterfall will cascade into the pond from the statue’s feet.

Standing on the rocky edge of the pond and watching workers clean up debris, Carter said the design change wasn’t made to avoid nicknames, which he said didn’t bother him.

“I think God has a sense of humor,” he said.

Carter said they are most concerned about finishing the project by mid-summer. He said the pond’s water level may not return completely until late fall, and a dry summer will put the bass, bluegill, carp and catfish, living in the remaining water, at risk.

“We’ve been praying for a year for this day,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence in the artists. I think they’ll do a good job for us.”

The church plans to have an Independence Day celebration on July 2 at the restored amphitheater adjacent to the statue’s location. Renowned gospel and bluegrass band The Isaacs are scheduled to perform.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or rwilson@coxohio.com.

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