Meltdown of statue elicits worldwide awe, response

Church will rebuild sculpture and amphitheater

Tonya VanZandt and her 9-year-old daughter, Iris, look at debris Tuesday, June 15, left from the fire that destroyed the “King of Kings” statue Monday night, June 14, at Solid Rock Church in Monroe.

Staff photo by Apryl Pilolli Tonya VanZandt and her 9-year-old daughter, Iris, look at debris Tuesday, June 15, left from the fire that destroyed the “King of Kings” statue Monday night, June 14, at Solid Rock Church in Monroe.

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Flames shot up from the Jesus statue Monday, June 14, after it was apparently struck by lightning at the Solid Rock Church in Monroe. The fire destroyed the six-story statue of Jesus and also caused damage to the church’s amphitheater.

Contributed photo by Tiffani West-May Flames shot up from the Jesus statue Monday, June 14, after it was apparently struck by lightning at the Solid Rock Church in Monroe. The fire destroyed the six-story statue of Jesus and also caused damage to the church’s amphitheater.

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A police officer directs traffic Tuesday, June 15, on Interstate 75 as people try to get a look at the remnants of the fire-ravaged Jesus statue at Solid Rock Church in Monroe.

Staff photo by Apryl Pilolli A police officer directs traffic Tuesday, June 15, on Interstate 75 as people try to get a look at the remnants of the fire-ravaged Jesus statue at Solid Rock Church in Monroe.

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By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer 11:22 PM Tuesday, June 15, 2010

MONROE — Iconic roadside attraction, thought-provoking I-75 soul-saver, waste of cash — call it what you will.

The Solid Rock Church’s giant 62-foot-tall Jesus statue is no more — struck down by an act of God (or Mother Nature).

Even as churchgoers and passers-by surveyed the charred fiberglass and Styrofoam remains of the lightning-incinerated “King of Kings” statue, church officials said they plan to have it rebuilt starting this summer.

Word of the fire spread quickly around the globe via online news sites. Monroe Fire Chief Mark Neu said the church has received calls from across the United States and as far away as China.

“People all across the world have looked at this,” he said.

Neu said damage to the statue and to the church’s nearby amphitheater, the Lawrence Bishop Music Theater, is estimated at $700,000.

The fire lasted only a few minutes, and no one was injured.

Emergency call transcripts had a surreal tone. Evidence shows lightning struck the right hand of the statue. The amphitheater, statue and surrounding area had lightning resisters and grounding rods to dispense lightning, but for some reason they did not work, Neu said.

The first caller, traveling south on I-75, said “a bolt of lightning” hit the statue.

The dispatcher responded, “Jesus is on fire.”

One male caller said, “I swear to God, this is not a prank ... I am serious. I just saw it get struck by lightning.”

The dispatcher reassured, stating, “I believe you.”

The man said, “I know it’s not funny, but literally his one hand is on fire.”

A woman caller couldn’t quite believe what she saw.

“The giant Jesus’ right hand is on fire. Is it supposed to be that way?” she asked.

Firefighters were dispatched at 11:16 p.m. and were on the scene at 11:22 p.m. As the fire moved beyond the hand, it spread to the church amphitheater and destroyed most of the roof line, Neu said.

It took firefighters from Monroe, Middletown, Deerfield and Liberty Twp. less than an hour to extinguish the fire.

The loss devastated those who took inspiration from the image. Among them was Jake Jacobs, director of church ministries for Princeton Pike Church of God.

“What a shrine that was to the community and also to everyone that would see it on the interstate,” he said. The “overwhelming response of Jesus with hands raised” inspired Jacobs to want to worship and praise whenever he saw it, he said.

“It would always speak all kinds of things,” he said, calling it a “reflection of something that just stays in your mind forever and ever. What a piece of artwork that just gets your attention.”

Others had more dire reactions.

“I think it’s a sign of the end of the world,” said Paul Wright, 21, of Oxford. “If lightning is going to strike God, then there’s no hope.”

Steve Bell, 51, of Lebanon, doesn’t like all the talk the statue has generated.

“All it did was cause people to make fun of Jesus,” he said. “If you are a Christian, you can bring someone to Christ. You don’t need a 62-foot-tall idol.”

Church member Cassie Browning, 27, of Dayton, said she was driving north on I-75 on her way back from Tennessee when she and her family saw smoke and noticed the statue missing. “It meant so much to so many people,” Browning said. “The statue can be destroyed and gone, but Jesus can’t be.”

Solid Rock member Cindy Leavell of Hamilton stopped by the statue with four of her children.

After seeing disturbing YouTube videos of the fire, the 44-year-old said she at first suspected it was the work of an atheist.

She dismissed critics. “They hate it because someone is standing up strong for the Lord,” said Leavell, adding that she looks forward to the statue’s return. “It will bring even more publicity for the church,” she said.

Staff writers Amelia Robinson, Denise Wilson, Tiffany Latta, Eric Schwartzberg, Rick McCrabb and Lauren Pack also contributed to this story.

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