The late Bernard Coffindaffer spent millions leaving his mark.
Crosses of Mercy stand along numerous roadways reminding us of Jesus’ death and of Coffindaffer’s evangelism. Clusters of three crosses, two painted heavenly blue flanking a center one painted Jerusalem gold, are scattered in 29 states, the District of Columbia, Zambia and the Philippines.
One such cluster is located east of Lucedale on U.S. 98. Another is in Perry County on U.S. 98. You can spot them everywhere. Sets are on Highway 45 in Clarke County, on Highway 7 in Lafayette County and on U.S. 49 near Florence and between Hattiesburg and Magee.
Coffindaffer was born the son of a coal miner. He was orphaned in his teens and went on to become a millionaire manufacturer of a substance (magnetite) that is used in the coal washing industry. His affluence wasn’t important to him, however. He claimed the only thing important in his life was that he was born again to Christianity at 11:59 a.m. on Oct. 16, 1967. From that day forward he was an evangelist and a self-proclaimed Methodist minister serving several small churches in West Virginia. His ministry came through missions like the Crosses of Mercy which later became known as Crosses Across America.
He claimed that while napping on the sofa one day the Holy Spirit tapped him on the shoulder. He said the Lord told him to go across the country erecting crosses in His name. That’s exactly what Coffindaffer did. He put up the first trio of crosses in 1984 high on the side of a West Virginia mountain. Then, he spread them from the Great Lakes to the Everglades. He spent millions of dollars paying wages for crews, handling their expenses and equipping them with tools and materials. Erecting a cluster cost him between $300 and $4,000. He funded the project from the profit he made when he sold his magnetite business. He spent the remainder of his life and his fortune erecting 1,842 sets before his death.
The crosses were made of weather-resistant poles. The center rood, about 25 feet high, represents the one on which Jesus was hung. The two outer ones are a little shorter and represent those used for the two thieves who were crucified with Christ. Each cluster was located on private property with permission from the landowners. They were constructed on site. Holes were dug with gas-operated drills and the poles were notched for a snug fit and finished with six penny nails left protruding.
Coffindaffer died of a heart attack in 1993 at age 68 at his home in West Virginia, but the ministry continued. Today, Crosses Across America is headquartered in Vicksburg, Miss.; the organization maintains the existing structures and places new sets. There are currently 2,100 clusters.
