Efforts to build a massive Christian monument in the U.K are shaping up now that a charity based out of the U.K. has raised over $2.5 million.
The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will be constructed in Birmingham, England with one million bricks, each representing someone’s prayer to Jesus which God has answered.
Construction on the giant infinity loop is scheduled to begin next year, with a completion goal of late 2023.
In a statement to The Christian Post, Chief Operations Officer for the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer charity, Dave Silber, said they have already raised $2.6 million but completion of the project requires around $12.4 million.
“We’ve managed to raise an incredible £450,000 ($620,000) in just four weeks, but we need the public to back us with another £550,000 ($780,000). We want this to be a crowd-funded, crowd-created piece of public art,” Silber said.
“Thanks to donations and gifts to date we have been able to acquire the land, achieve an award-winning design, obtain planning permission, build the team and cover all our immediate ongoing costs,” he added. “So now, every single penny of the crowdfunding campaign we receive will go directly into construction.”
The monument will exceed 160 feet in height and will be visible from six miles away.
Visitors will have access to an app that explains the stories of the million people who say their prayers were answered. Project organizers expect 300,000 people to visit the monument each year which includes a visitor center, cafe, and bookshop.
Richard Gamble, the project’s chief executive said, “We’re trying to make hope visible and provoke a conversation about prayer. Everyone goes through storms in life, and hope is one of the greatest antidotes to anxiety and fear.”
He added, “Sixteen years ago, I felt God speak to me and give me the idea. I spent 10 years wrestling with that, then six years ago I said okay, let’s see if we can make this happen. It’s an audacious project, but I believe God is helping us to achieve it.”
But there’s been some pushback to the idea.
“Some people think we shouldn’t be doing this, but when you explain it to them, the vast majority of people are more positive,” Gamble stated. “We say we’re a secular nation, but most Christian organizations reported a massive spike (in interest) during lockdown and people Googling about prayer. Even though we operate as a secular nation, many of us turn to prayer in times of crisis.”
The Eternal Wall is expected to generate about $1.3 million each year, which will go to several charities to assist with financing affordable housing projects.
To learn more about this project, click here.
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