TCKF – News Release 2/02/12
Construction Resumes At The Sculpture Prayer Garden!
Kerrville, TX – The Coming King Foundation, a non-profit 501c3 arts organization, has resumed construction on the 23 acre The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden on IH-10, 60 miles northwest of San Antonio. The spiritual garden park is located on private land at the main entrance of Kerrville, TX. Construction resumed this week after a three year delay due to opposition of atheists and others opposed to the 77’7 symbolic open cross sculpture called “The Empty Cross”.
A local contractor Edmund Jenschke, Inc, was awarded the job. Company President, Joe Ed Jenschke estimated this phase of construction is expected to take about three months. Jenschke said of the project: “The cross is the best thing to happen to Kerrville in a long time!”
Once the main entrance is finished, the Christian sculpture park will be opened to the public at no charge, though the entire Garden can’t be completed until more funds are donated. This phase of the construction was made possible by a $125,000 Challenge Grant awarded by the Hal & Charlie Peterson Foundation of Kerrville in 2011, and major gifts from John and Barbara Sullivan, Lyle and Patsy Jordan, Max and Sherry Greiner, and Trish Wyatt. Since 2005, the Christian non-denominational park has been built on faith in God, without debt, public tax money or professional fundraisers. To date, over $2,000,000 has been donated and spent on the project.
More than a dozen monumental sculptures, worth $3,000,000, have been given by three different internationally collected Christian sculptors, Beverly Paddleford of Lander, WY, David Broussard of Dallas, TX and Max Greiner, Jr. of Kerrville, TX. At this time, only one sculpture has been placed in the Garden, “The Empty Cross”, a massive, seven story contemporary sculpture, which was erected on top of the 1,930’ hill on 7/27/10.
Destined to become a national landmark, the red brown, hollow Cor-tin steel cross is located at the same latitude as Israel, and is approximately halfway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, on IH-10. The spiritually symbolic cross was donated by Max and Sherry Greiner, owners of Max Greiner Jr. Designs, and Monte and Beverly Paddleford, owners of Eagle Bronze, one the largest art foundries in the USA. Other Christians, ministries, companies and foundations have also donated their resources and services to build this ambitious Garden park, to bless Kerrville and to honor Jesus Christ.
Many local community leaders support the project because of the many benefits. Stacie Keeble, Kerrville City Council member said: “I love seeing the cross! I just love it!” Sudie Burditt, Director of the Convention & Visitors Bureauexclaimed, “The cross really does take your breath away! It’s dignified and awe-inspiring. It is extremely difficult to look away from it once you see it. Thanks to The Coming King Foundation for making our world aware of Kerrville, TX. 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.”
Ray Watson, Executive Director, Kerrville Economic Development Corporation wrote: “What a great project! Being from the panhandle, I truly have seen the blessing that the Groom (Sculpture Prayer Garden) project has been and look forward to this (Kerrville Garden) being the jewel of this area.”
Other City officials also are pleased with the art project. Todd Parton, Kerrville City Manager commented: “This is a neat project. It is unique, there is nothing like it.” Mindy Wendele, Director of Business & Public Affairs said: “It (the garden) is really going to be tremendous, calling many visitors to Kerrville.”
Local clergy support the Garden too. Pastor of Friendship Bible Church, Mark Rylander proclaimed: “What starts on this hill top will flow down to Kerrville, the Hill Country, Texas, this country and the world!”
Pastor David Danielson of Impact Christian Fellowship wrote: “The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden is already a tremendous blessing to Kerrville in so many ways. It provides a place of spiritual refuge and restoration for our community, as well as for people who travel here to experience it. Its location, in the gateway entrance of our city, makes it both accessible and inviting, and I believe it is just a matter of time before it becomes a resource that creates significant revenue for local businesses by the visitors it attracts. I know God makes all things beautiful in their time, and I eagerly anticipate the day the Kerrville Garden is completed.”
The ambitious art project has also garnered the support of many national leaders. Governor Mike Huckabee wrote: “Max Greiner had a vision for a Garden filled with sculpture, not to promote art, but to promote Jesus Christ. On the pathway to bringing the vision of the Sculpture Prayer Garden to fruition, there has not been an obstacle that God has not overcome. If you want to be involved in reaching out to hundreds, thousands- even millions- who need Christ in their life, pray for the completion of the Garden and give financially if God leads the way.”
Other well known Christian leaders who have prayed for the Kerrville Garden include Franklin Graham, James Dobson, Rick Warren, Max Lucado, Charles Stanley, Paul Crouch, Pat Robertson, Joni and Marcus Lamb, Bill Johnson, Jesse Duplantis, Hal Lindsay, Randy Clark, the late Oral Roberts and Bill Bright.
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