Irresistible roadside attraction

In His last words before ascending to the Father, Jesus instructed His disciples to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). As those disciples traveled the dusty roads of the first century, they began a revolution by sharing the good news with anyone they encountered. Today, people can still experience the Savior as they travel, though some methods of communication have changed significantly.

Through the Jesus Name Project, Missouri businessman Bryan Brand and his wife, Vicki, shared the gospel via billboards that simply proclaimed “Jesus” in giant white letters against a green background. This evangelistic effort began in the late 1990s as the Brands studied and prayed through the book of Acts.

“Our objective was to publish the name of Jesus boldly with dignity and simplicity,” Bryan told The Stand.

The couple’s strategy was inspired by their observation of a pattern used by the early church to spread the gospel.

Learning from the past

The early church grew exponentially despite intense opposition to the power of God’s Holy Spirit working through the words and deeds of early believers. Bryan postulated an equation that expresses the growth of the New Testament church: P + O = M.

“Whenever God’s power (P) was shared in the early church,” said Bryan, “opposition (O) was a certainty but so was the irresistible attractiveness of Jesus.”

His name was, and is, the only way to minister the gospel to the multitudes (M).  So, Bryan and Vicki pondered this formula as they sought to boldly publish the Messiah’s message to the multitudes through the dignity and simplicity of His name – Jesus.

Then, a visiting evangelist shared Habakkuk 2:2 as paraphrased in The Living Bible. The couple marveled at God’s direct instructions: “Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear, so that anyone can read it at a glance and rush to tell the others.”

As Bryan looked for the perfect spot for their first sign, he studied area highways and chose an interstate near what was originally Six Flags Over Mid-America in Eureka, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.

That location was the first a plethora of billboards, banners, and yard signs that would be displayed by the Jesus Name Project over the next 20 years.

Following their conviction regarding the power of the name of Jesus, the signs included no phone numbers, addresses, church names, or any other information. For the Brands, the instructions from their Savior were clear: “My name is more than enough.”

An enduring legacy

For the next two decades, various stories of encounters with those billboards proved the sufficiency of that name.

Bryan recalled one such story of a businessman on his way to begin an illicit affair with a co-worker. The sight of the billboard suddenly stopped him in his tracks. Overcome with emotion, he pulled off the highway and wept over his intention to be unfaithful. Ultimately, having been brought to repentance by the powerful message of the name of Jesus, he turned around and went home to his wife.

“This is just one of many stories relayed to us,” said Bryan. “I believe countless other billboard stories were never told.”

Now that the Brands are retired, their evangelistic efforts continue through their grandson, Walker, and his friend. Currently, while attending college, they run a scaled-down version of the Jesus Name Project. They sell gift items such as decals, hats, and banners – using the same Jesus-only marketing strategy.

“I chose to carry on this legacy,” Walker explained, “because Jesus inspires me to magnify His name, giving me purpose while making my faith meaningful and of service to others.”

From billboards to crosses

Although the Brands’ billboards are now seldom seen along America’s heartland highways, Mike Rozier and his construction crews lead a similar roadside evangelism effort using towering crosses. Installing Rozier’s crosses requires more planning and community engagement compared to the billboards from the Jesus Name Project. However, the results are impressive, as are the stories of how the crosses have affected travelers.

Situated on busy highways or prominent sites in six states, each cross stands 120 feet tall and weighs 47,000 pounds. Some communities have established non-profit organizations to manage the construction costs and continued maintenance of their local crosses.

Rozier Construction (rozierconstruction.com) erects each cross and charges only for the cost of building materials and employee wages. For Rozier and his crew, their work is a mission and a way to give back to the communities.

“We cannot put a price on even just one person’s salvation that may happen because of a huge cross being in their path,” said Rozier. “We give God all the glory for each story that we will hear for years to come from all the crosses that Rozier Construction has erected in the past 11 years. And we have 4 or 5 more crosses in the works for this next year.”

Life-changing encounters

Meet Me at the Cross, a youth ministry led by Pastor Chris Payne, gathers at Cross 33, which was erected by Rozier Construction, in Saltillo, Mississippi. The cross was named to reflect the approximate age of Jesus when he died on the cross.

On a summer night in 2023, Payne providentially encountered a group of local students in a parking lot. They were asking random people questions and filming their responses for social media. Payne agreed to answer the group’s questions on the condition that they answer his questions in return. The conversation resulted in eight of the nine young men praying to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. 

Afterward, Payne, his wife, Kayla, and their friend, Jamie Kincade, prayed for guidance on how to mentor the new believers, who were not members of a local church. The answer they received was to meet at the foot of Cross 33, a well-known and easily visible spot for the students in Saltillo.

Today, the Paynes lead a monthly evening gathering where local youth come together around the illuminated cross. During this time, the young people take turns singing and sharing testimonies about Jesus, often attracting travelers who stop to join the event.

“During times of prayer at the cross, we began to petition God for someone from as far away as Texas to stop and join us,” Payne said. “Amazingly, a few months later, a man stopped by and visited with the young people. His heart was heavily burdened with anger and hurt. Before he left Cross 33, he surrendered his pain and heart to Jesus. As he left, he told the kids that he was traveling through Saltillo from – of all places – Texas.”

Payne smiled and shook his head in wonder, remarking that this was just one of many amazing events he had witnessed at the foot of that cross.

Eternity will ultimately reveal the final stories behind the towering steel crosses and large green billboards. These eternal tales will not only include Payne, Rozier, and the Brands, but also the time, talents, prayers, and contributions of countless fellow believers who played a role in spreading the gospel of Christ along America’s roads.