One Baton Rouge church is hoping to give strength and encouragement to the community by using a different method of outreach.
Along the I-10/Seigen Lane corridor stand three tall, white crosses which Bethany World Prayer Center recently constructed as part of their south campus development project, aiming at expanding the church’s outreach.
Planning for the new site began a year ago. The church wanted to create a symbol of hope for the Baton Rouge community, Carpenter said.
“There are not many things that are always the same, and the crosses are,” Carpenter said. “With all the bad things that have been going on lately, we wanted something the community could share.”
The crosses cost between $200,000 and $300,000 to build and were paid for primarily through special donations from church members, Carpenter said.
The middle cross stands 150 feet tall, while the two flanking crosses stand 120 feet tall, Carpenter said.
The crosses are lighted by stadium lights that equal about 30 percent of the lighting in Tiger Stadium, Carpenter said.
From dusk until dawn every day the crosses are lighted up to a bright white that can be seen from I-10.
The crosses are located on an 80-acre site of interstate frontage. The site ultimately will be home to Bethany’s south campus, Carpenter said.
Construction of the crosses began about four months ago. They were lighted for the first time on New Year’s Eve and about 3,000 onlookers witnessed the ceremony, Carpenter said.
A two-acre pond and walking paths around the crosses will be completed in about six months, Carpenter said.
“The Crosses Project will be a powerful witness to millions of passersby for generations to come,” said Pastor Larry Stockstill of Bethany.
There will eventually be complete access to the base of the crosses, a prayer and welcome center and a 9,000 seat sanctuary, Carpenter said.
The master plan is still in the process of being formulated. The church’s ultimate goal is to have a park-like setting around the crosses and new facilities for people to enjoy.
“Dominating the landscape for miles around, the crosses will serve as a missions magnet, annually attracting thousands to the church and the global outreach center,” said the Bethany Web site.
Bethany is a non-denominational church of about 10,000 members. Membership at the church is very diverse, being roughly 50 percent black and 50 percent white, said project manager Charles Carpenter.