77'7" Kerrville Cross Raised on IH-10, Ending 9 Year Epic Struggle
Released on: July 29, 2010, 5:46 am
Author:
The Coming King Foundation
Industry: Travel
Kerrville, Texas 07/29/10 – Tuesday, July 27th a
two-million-dollar, 70-ton, 77'7" red-brown contemporary sculpture
named The Empty Cross™ was erected by The Coming King Foundation (TCKF)
overlooking Interstate 10, half-way between the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans, on the transcontinental highway that connects California and
Florida. The purpose, according to TCKF Vice President Jim McKnight,
is to “draw people to God and to bless all those who visit the 23 acre
Sculpture Prayer Garden in Kerrville, which will be free to the
public.”
The week-long process to erect the cross began on Monday morning, July 26th. Eagle
Bronze of Lander, WY supervised the raising of the massive cross sculpture with the
help of local welders, steel erectors, and crane companies. This historic event
caps a 9-year epic struggle to raise the cross which included several financial“miracles”, threats and attacks by atheists and others opposed to the cross,
numerous letters to the media and city government, and a lawsuit filed by
neighboring landowners, which was settled.
The spiritual park, located at the main entrance of Kerrville, looks like the “Holy
Land” and happens to be at the same latitude as Israel. The “Hill Country” town of
Kerrville is home to about 23,000 people. It is known for its beautiful Guadalupe
River, scenic views, and abundant wildlife. The area is a favorite of tourists,
campers and hunters from across the USA. Only 60 miles northwest of San Antonio’s
main tourist attractions, the Alamo and River Walk, over a thousand people a day are
expected to visit the free “Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden” when it is
completed.
Sudie Burditt, Director of the Kerrville Convention & Visitors Bureau, said: “Thanks
to TCKF for making our world aware of Kerrville, Texas. The national publicity it
has received for the Sculpture Prayer Garden is enormous, and the publicity and
awareness of the City of Kerrville is great for our economy. As the Garden is
developed and the beautiful art is put in place, the rocky, cedar-covered hillside
will become a place of beauty and serenity that will attract visitors for
generations to come. These visitors will eat, sleep and shop in Kerrville, making a
positive growth impact on our hospitality industry.”
The non-denominational Christian Garden and the seven-story hollow cross sculpture
are the “vision” of artist/evangelist Max Greiner, Jr., a 1974 architecture design
graduate of Texas A&M University. The spiritually symbolic, Cor-tin steel cross is
the largest sculpture featured in the Garden park and the largest sculpture ever
created by the artist and his foundry, Eagle Bronze, of Lander, WY, one of the
largest art bronze foundries in the USA.
The unique hollow cross symbolizes the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The “walk-in”
cross sculpture is being displayed at the top of a 1,930’ hill, at the end of a
100-yard-long, cross-shaped Garden. The Garden when completed, will display 77
Biblical scriptures on 16” etched ceramic tiles in multiple languages. According to
Max and Sherry Greiner, God “called” them on December 9, 2001 to build a “last days,
outdoor tabernacle” as a way of sharing the love of Jesus Christ with the world.
In May of 2004, the Greiners formed The Coming King Foundation, a non-profit,
tax-exempt arts foundation, so these meditative gardens could be built across the
USA and world. Today, the 17 Trustees of the 501c3 organization consist of leaders
from different Christian denominations. Since the beginning, the non-profit arts
foundation has trusted that God would provide all the funds needed to build the
Kerrville Garden, without debt, public tax money or professional fundraisers.
To date, about two million dollars has been donated by generous Christians across
America for the glory of God. In addition, three million dollars worth of
monumental, contemporary Christ-honoring sculptures have been donated by three
internationally- collected Christian artists. The sculptors are Beverly Paddleford
of Lander, WY, David Broussard of Dallas, TX, and Max Greiner, Jr. of Kerrville, TX.
The 23 acres of valuable land that fronts IH-10 was donated by the Hershel Reid
family of Dallas, TX.
TCKF still needs about $250,000 to build the main entrance and parking lot. Around
two million dollars more is needed to build the interior roads for the Sculpture
Prayer Garden so it can be opened to the public. Guided tours to see the cross are
possible now by calling the TCKF office. People around the world can also watch “LIVE” streaming video of the cross at the organization’s website:
http://www.TheComingKingFoundation.org
Many Christian-owned businesses have donated their services to raise the 77’7” cross
sculpture. These include, Max Greiner, Jr. Designs of Kerrville, TX; Eagle Bronze
of Lander, WY; Choat Painting & Sandblasting of Kerrville, TX; Alamo Crane Service
of San Antonio, TX; Debsteel, Inc of Spring Branch, TX; Equipment Depot of San
Antonio, TX; Town & Country Welding of Kerrville, TX; Nixalite of America, Inc. of
IL; Cherokee Septic of Kerrville, TX and professional welders Everett Blair, Daniel
Wolfe, Earnest Taylor, and Rex Vandiver.
Max Greiner, Jr., TCKF President, said: “Like the American flag that was raised in
World War II at Iwo Jima, we believe God will use the raising of ‘The Empty Cross’
to energize and inspire Christians across our land to rise up and fight for the
Christian principles that founded this great country.”
This ambitious Christian project has many well-known supporters. Governor Mike
Huckabee, Dr. James Dobson, Franklin Graham, Dr. Pat Robertson, Rick Warren, the
late Dr. Bill Bright and Dr. Oral Roberts have all prayed for the Kerrville Garden.
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About The Coming King Foundation
The Coming King Foundation (TCKF) still needs about $250,000 to build the main
entrance and parking lot. Around two million dollars more is needed to build the
interior roads for the Sculpture Prayer Garden so it can be opened to the public.
Guided tours to see the cross are possible now by calling TCKF office. People
around the world can also watch “LIVE” streaming video of the cross at the
organization’s website: http://www.TheComingKingFoundation.org
View the latest photos from the Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Coming-King-Foundation/111995418188?v=photos
Contact Details: Max Greiner
The Coming King Foundation
PO Box 290555
Kerrville, TX 78029
Phone (830) 367-7706
http://www.TheComingKingFoundation.org
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