Construction has begun on Britain's largest Christian monument after its initial £40 million fundraising target was met.
The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, located between the M6 and M42 in Coleshill near Birmingham, will stand at 51 metres tall in the form of a Möbius strip.
More than twice the height of the Angel of the North near Newcastle, the monument will contain one million bricks, each linked to a story of answered prayer accessible through smartphones.
A ceremony took place at the site today, where around 200 guests were present, including donors, civic leaders, pastors and long-standing supporters.
They gathered on site to witness the start of building work. The message from organisers was that the UK must not lose sight of its Christian roots.
Founder of Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, Richard Gamble, told GB News that the structure will remind future generations of the nation's Christian heritage.
"God spoke to me about this 21 years ago, so it's been a roller coaster journey and it's just a real thrill today that we can get started," Gamble said.
"We want to proclaim to the nation that Jesus is alive. He listens and He answers our prayers. We're not just collecting the answered prayers from now, but from all of history.
"So we want to preserve the Christian heritage of the nation and get schools and colleges to come and visit and find out all the stories of what God's done through our history. I think particularly now, that's more important than ever.
"When we ran a global competition with the Royal Institute of British Architects, we didn't want it to have the Christian iconography. We wanted to be a stunning structural design that basically encourages people to come along and have a look.
"When they come, they'll be able to see all these tiny bricks on it and realise how big a million is, and I hope as a piece of art that's going to inspire millions of people to think about praying.
"Over 50,000 people have got involved in this project and this is a way of us being bold and declaring to the nation that actually, there are loads of Christians in this country who want people to know what they what they believe in and what they stand for."
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The monument near Birmingham will stand at 51 metres tall
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More than 50,000 people are involved in the construction project
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Land for the site was donated by IM Properties, owned by Midlands-based businessman Lord Robert Edmiston. The same company recently made more than a £30 million donation towards the build costs.
The Conservative peer told GB News: "We want it to be the project for the church in the nation. I don't want my name on it in any way. Nothing I've ever done has my name on it, not my company and not my charity, and I want it that way.
"I want it to be owned by the church, and Christians in this country and perhaps other countries too, will contribute their prayers to encourage people that God does still answer prayer.
"There's lots of problems in this world, like a lot of youth suicide, things like that. We want people to understand that there is an alternative. You can pray and ask God for help. Jesus said, you know, cast your care upon me because I care for you, and people need hope.
"The problem is, you know, if your life seems really miserable and you can't see any way out, suicide seems very logical, doesn't it? But we want to say to people, don't do that. God has a plan and purpose for you. Start talking to God and He will help you and direct your life because He has a good plan for you."
Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will be visible to motorists, HS2 passengers and those landing at Birmingham Airport. Organisers anticipate the site will eventually attract 250,000 visitors each year.
The project includes ten acres of landscaped green space and, in a later phase, a larger visitor centre and conference facility.
About 120,000 answered prayers have already been submitted or pledged from 125 countries, with 250,000 the target for opening day. They include stories of healing, marriage reconciliation and addiction recovery.
The chief executive of Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, Ian Bullock, said the ceremony was "historic".
“Today we witnessed history — the beginning of a once-in-a-lifetime project that will make hope visible for generations. Eternal Wall demonstrates the relevance of faith in everyday life," he said. "This is the start of something truly extraordinary."
It is set to open in 2028 and to ensure the site can become fully operational — including a visitor centre, car park and landscaped grounds — Eternal Wall has launched a crowdfunder to raise the remaining £5.7 million needed.
To donate or find out more about the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, head to www.eternalwall.org.uk
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