Bald Knob Board Asking Everyone to Give $1 Sunday
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ On Sunday--Palm Sunday--you can make a difference with a dollar.
Churches all across Southern Illinois will set up collection plates as a newly organized Bald Knob Cross board asks members of every church to donate just a dollar toward renovation of the landmark.
In recent months Rev. Gerald Wright of the Spirit of Life Christian Church of Du Quoin joined other esteemed pastors and lay leaders from across Southern Illinois to manage and begin restoration of the Bald Knob Cross.
It was a court-ordered reorganization that ended a two-year fight for control of the board. What's called the interim board has a clear focus on its work--to renovate, then maintain the landmark.
Wright and the others are reaching back decades--to 1937--to argue the importance of getting this work done.
Wright talks about the storied Bald Knob Cross.
In 1937, Wayman Presley, a native of Jackson County, was walking and conversing with Rev. W.H. Lirely, then of Makanda. The two spoke about the need for a place where people of all denominations could gather for worship. Their attention was drawn to Bald Knob in rural Union County. What came from that conversation was the first Easter Sunrise service in 1937. There was a small, but enthusiastic crowd of 250 in attendance. Attendance grew into the thousands in subsequent years. The popularity of the Christian gathering led to a plan to purchase the Bald Knob Hill.
From 1948 to 1951 Presley secured 116 individuals who would be willing to commit $100 each to purchase the land.
They were from 34 communities in five states.
By 1953, funds had been raised locally to construct the foundation of the Western Hemisphere's largest Cross, but it was clear that if the Cross was to be completed, it needed the backing of a nationally recognized organization.
The Cross Foundation received that needed help from the General Federation of Women's Clubs, which took on the challenge of raising funds. The growing popularity of television gave Presley a national pulpit from which to raise funds. Presley appeared on the wildly popular nationally syndicated program "This is Your Life." Even though contributions to the effort increased, it was still not enough. Presley took a leave of absence from his postal service position to throw himself completely into fundraising.
He encouraged people to raise pigs, sell the pigs and turn the profits over to the Cross committee. A staggering $30,000 was raised through the campaign.
In February 1959 construction of the Cross began. Groundbreaking was held in conjunction with the Easter service that year. The framework of the Cross stood for several years until enough money was raised to cover the superstructure. The Cross was completed in 1963 when the last of over 900 heavy gauge steel panels with a bright white porcelain veneer was affixed to the framework creating a spectacular night sight which could be seen for 7,500 square miles because of the 40,000 watts of lighting that enveloped it.
The cross was--and is--one of the most well-traveled landmarks in the Midwest.
Disputes among the Cross' board and the Cross itself deteriorated at the same time. In 2006 the Union County Circuit Court ordered the Cross-related properties be locked down until litigation was concluded. With no maintenance, the Cross continued to fall into disrepair.
Last summer, a settlement supported by both sides ended in resolution of the longstanding conflict. All former board members would resign, and the court would appointed a temporary transitional board on which Rev. Wright and others now sit. Final agreement became official on Christmas Eve 2008. The board's first meeting was in January 2009, policies were established and restoration of the Cross has now begun.
The cost of a total restoration has not been determined. But, the board had to begin somewhere.The cost of the original cross pales by the estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars it will take to restore the landmark.
Members of the board are asking every church in the region to receive an offering from each of their congregants of $1. That is $1 for every man, woman and child. The $1 campaign is called "One for the Cross." Each church is asked to assign a liaison for the Cross.
Send Your Donations:
The one dollar donations should be converted into a money order, bank draft or church check and sent to : Bald Knob Cross, P.O. Box 35, Alto Pass, Ill. 62905.