The First United Methodist Church on South Shoreline is marking three decades since the installation of its iconic 32-foot statue depicting the Body of Christ. It’s been a landmark that has welcomed worshipers and visitors since October 1995.

The idea of erecting a Christ statue in Corpus Christi stretches back almost a century. In 1928, famed sculptor Gutzon Borglum, best known for Mount Rushmore, proposed a 32-foot statue of Christ to greet visitors at the city’s harbor. However, his efforts to build a statue on the bayfront were stalled due to funding issues and concerns about placing a religious monument on public land.

The current statue was inspired in 1991 by Dorothy McCoy, a retired local teacher. While traveling in China, she was surprised to learn that her hometown, named for the Body of Christ, had no prominent representation of Christ. Motivated by this realization, she approached her pastor, Dr. Mark Doty, with the idea of placing a statue on First United Methodist Church’s grounds. McCoy also wanted the project to honor her son, who had passed away in a car accident, and to serve as a tribute to all Christians in Corpus Christi.

A committee was formed to bring the vision to life, and international sculptor Kent Ullberg, who had grown up inspired by religious art in Sweden, was commissioned to create the piece. Ullberg designed a 15-foot, six-inch bronze sculpture of Jesus standing in a boat, calming the stormy Sea of Galilee, a scene drawn from the Gospel message: “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.”

After months of work in Colorado and casting in Wyoming, the statue was shipped to Corpus Christi.

Church members with expertise in architecture and engineering designed a solid ten-foot base, sinking pilings 38 feet deep to secure the sculpture. The foundation was finished with polished red granite quarried in Fredericksburg, Texas, making the monument both sturdy and visually striking.

Installed in October 1995, It Is I has become an enduring landmark along the Corpus Christi bayfront, inspiring countless visitors and serving as a reminder of hope, faith, and the city’s spiritual roots.

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