If you drove north on I-75 through Monroe, Ohio, anytime between 2004 and 2010, you saw him. You couldn't miss him. Rising 62 feet out of a pond at the Solid Rock Church, a massive fiberglass and Styrofoam figure of Jesus Christ stood with arms outstretched toward the highway. He was officially titled King of Kings, but nobody called him that. To locals, truckers, and the internet at large, he was Big Butter Jesus Ohio.
He was huge. He was yellow. Honestly, he looked like he was carved from a giant block of Land O'Lakes.
Then, in a moment of pure biblical irony, a bolt of lightning struck the statue in June 2010. The whole thing burned to the ground in minutes, leaving nothing but a blackened steel skeleton. It felt like the end of an era for Ohio roadside kitsch. But even though a new statue—Lux Mundi—stands there now, people still talk about the "Butter Jesus" like he’s a long-lost friend.
The Birth of a Highway Icon
The statue wasn't meant to be a joke. Far from it. Lawrence Bishop, the late pastor of Solid Rock Church, wanted a landmark that would grab people’s attention and point them toward faith. He got exactly what he wanted, though maybe not for the reasons he expected. Sculptor James Lynch designed the figure, which cost about $250,000 to construct.
Why the butter comparison? It was the color. The cream-colored finish under the harsh Ohio sun gave it a distinctively dairy-based glow.
People reacted in the weirdest ways. Some found it deeply moving. Others thought it was the height of religious tackiness. Most just thought it was hilarious. It became a "must-see" for road trippers. If you were driving from Cincinnati to Dayton, you looked for the statue. It was a milestone. "We're ten minutes past the giant Jesus," parents would tell their kids in the backseat. It was part of the geography of the Midwest.
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The nickname actually went global thanks to comedian Heywood Banks. He wrote a folk song about the statue that became a viral hit on the Bob & Tom Show. The lyrics poked fun at the statue's appearance, specifically the way it looked like Jesus was emerging from a bathtub. Banks sang about "Sweetbread Jesus" and "Olean Jesus," but "Big Butter Jesus" was the one that stuck.
The Night the Butter Melted
On June 14, 2010, the sky over Monroe turned dark. A severe thunderstorm rolled through, and a single bolt of lightning hit the statue’s raised hand. Because the interior was made of highly flammable Styrofoam and the exterior was fiberglass, the fire was instantaneous and absolute.
It was a spectacle.
Drivers pulled over on I-75 to watch the 62-foot figure turn into a pillar of fire. By the time the Monroe Fire Department arrived, there wasn't much to save. The "butter" had melted. The pond beneath the statue was filled with charred debris. The news went everywhere. It was a trending topic before trending topics were even a thing. People made jokes about "Touchdown Jesus" becoming "Toasted Jesus."
Interestingly, the adjacent church building stayed mostly untouched. The congregation saw it as a miracle that the fire didn't spread. Others saw it as a sign from above that maybe, just maybe, 60-foot Styrofoam monuments weren't the way to go.
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What Replaced the Legend?
The church didn't leave the pedestal empty for long. In 2012, they unveiled a replacement. This one is called Lux Mundi (Light of the World). It’s made of polymer composites and is much more fire-resistant. This new Jesus isn't waist-deep in water; he's walking forward with his arms spread wide.
Locals immediately gave it a new nickname: "Hug Me Jesus." Or "Terminator Jesus," depending on who you ask.
But it’s just not the same. Lux Mundi is more professionally done, sure. It’s safer. It’s arguably more "artistic." But it lacks that weird, kitschy soul that made Big Butter Jesus Ohio a cultural phenomenon. The original was a product of a specific moment in time—an era of giant roadside attractions that didn't care about being "cool."
Why We Can't Forget the Butter
There is something quintessentially American about a giant, flammable Jesus standing next to a highway. It sits at the intersection of faith, commerce, and pure, unadulterated weirdness.
When you talk to people from Southwest Ohio, they remember where they were when they heard the statue burned down. It’s a piece of local lore. It’s also a reminder of how the internet can take something earnest and turn it into a meme before "memes" were part of our daily vocabulary.
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The statue represented a specific kind of Midwestern sincerity. The church truly believed it was doing something great. The public truly thought it was bizarre. Both things were true at once. That tension is what made it famous.
Today, if you visit the site, you’ll see a nice, modern statue and a very large church. It’s a peaceful spot. But if you look closely at the pond, you can almost imagine the giant yellow figure rising up again. The legacy of Big Butter Jesus lives on in faded t-shirts, grainy YouTube videos of the fire, and the stories we tell about that one weird thing you used to see on the way to Dayton.
How to See What's Left
If you're planning a trip to see the site of the original Big Butter Jesus Ohio, here is what you need to know. The location is the Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio, right off I-75 at exit 29.
- Visit the New Statue: Lux Mundi is still worth seeing. It’s massive and impressive in its own right. Just don't call it "Butter Jesus" in front of the congregants; they've heard the joke enough.
- Check the History: The church sometimes has photos of the original construction and the fire in their archives or on display during certain events.
- Explore Monroe: While you're there, check out the Cincinnati Premium Outlets nearby. It’s a weird contrast to go from a massive religious monument to high-end retail shopping, but that's Ohio for you.
- Listen to the Song: Before you go, find Heywood Banks' song on YouTube. It provides the perfect soundtrack for the drive. It’s a catchy bit of 2000s nostalgia that perfectly captures the "why" behind the nickname.
The story of Big Butter Jesus is a story about how we find meaning—and humor—in the things we build. Whether it was a divine sign or just a giant piece of flammable art, it left an mark on the Ohio landscape that hasn't faded yet. Go see the replacement, but remember the original. It was one of a kind.