Johnny Maxwell looked at the world and, given what he saw, determined something needed to be done.

And that was the world 17 years ago.

But through years of prayer, discussions, prayer and more prayer, Maxwell said the vision seemed clear. And the Cross of North Alabama, once just an idea, is now on the brink of reality. Plans call for it to be raised by the end of the month in the small Morgan County town of Priceville just off Alabama 67 – a busy highway that connects a part of rural Alabama to Interstate 65 and Decatur.

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Maxwell said the cross will stand 120 feet tall and be seen for miles – including just north of Hartselle along I-65. It will be located about two miles off the interstate at Decatur address 1408 Shoal Creek Road on two acres of land donated by Tommy Livingston, a prayer partner for Maxwell throughout the process. For comparison, the cross will be just five feet shorter than the 125-foot cross at Gardendale Baptist Church on I-65 outside Birmingham.

Maxwell said the project will cost about $300,000 and donations are being accepted through the project’s website. Among those who said they favor the project is Priceville Mayor Sam Heflin.

“It’s got a lot of interest in the local area and it’s something that there’s going to be a lot of people behind it,” said Heflin, adding that the project has received necessary construction approvals from the city.

In a sense, the project has bipartisan support. Not necessarily political support from both Democrats and Republicans but support from different religious groups and organizations.

“God never did want me to build a cross,” said Maxwell, the pastor at Nature’s Trail Church in Priceville. “He never did want the church to build a cross. He wanted Christians to build a cross and all Christians. And that became amazing because we got Catholics, we get Lutherans, we’ve got Baptists, we’ve got non denominations. We’ve got all kinds of people that got on board.”

Perhaps the most universal symbol of Jesus Christ’s ministry and sacrifice, building the cross is to be a source of hope and encouragement, Maxwell said. Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross more than 2,000 years ago, the Bible states, is the payment of sins for all people who seek forgiveness and accept the plan of salvation. His resurrection is celebrated each spring at Easter, which will be observed Sunday.

“The cross to us represents nothing to be worshipped by no means,” said Maxwell. “It’s just a magnificent moment where we no longer had to have the (sacrifice of the) blood of lambs inside a holy of holies. We can go straight to God because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. When we see the cross, it symbolizes to us that our payment for sin was made there. And that was the beginning of grace. That was the beginning of our Christian walk.”

Maxwell said that altogether, it’s a three-phase project with the first phase being the raising of the cross. He said Mississippi-based Rozier Construction, which has been part of other cross-building projects across the country, is donating labor and charging only for material. That material is expected to arrive at the site next week and it will take about 10 days for the construction, Maxwell said.

The second phase of the project is for landscaping and lighting at the site as well as a dozen outdoor touchscreen prayer stations at the site that will represent the 12 tribes of Israel. Maxwell said it’s intended to reach those who may choose not to attend church.

When returning from a fishing trip once, Maxwell told of encountering a man parked outside his church at 2 a.m.

“And he said, ‘I feel safe here sleeping here because it’s a church,’” Maxwell said. “He sought sanctuary there. And people will do that at the cross. So we’re going to make it where someone can go get help 24 hours a day. And they might not go to a preacher. They might not go to a friend. But if they go to our touchscreens, they’ll be able to find (help) if they’re suffering through a divorce or drugs or alcohol or whatever.

“And there’ll be an interactive touchscreen interface for them there. And they can get answers just by reading. Or, if it’s bad enough and they feel like they need a pastor, there’ll be like a hot button and they can actually get a pastor anytime day or night. Or a counselor or someone who’s qualified who can help them in their situation.”

Maxwell said the final phase is perhaps the most ambitious with plans to build homes on land adjacent to the cross site for unwed mothers who don’t have the financial means or experience to care for a newborn baby. After praying for abortion rights to be returned to the states through the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, Maxwell said this is a response to help care for babies and young mothers who might previously have terminated the pregnancy.

As for the cost, which is being raised through private funds by a non-profit group formed to lead the project, Maxwell said he is conscious of criticism.

“We’ve already heard people say, ‘Well, you can feed a lot of hungry children (with the money),’” Maxwell said. But he said donors to the cross project that he knows personally contribute to other efforts as well.

“They support missions all over the world,” Maxwell said. “I’d say they give most of their wealth to missions and Christian organizations. We are feeding the hungry. We are clothing the naked. We are going all over the world. And we’re doing this on the cross.”

Ultimately, Maxwell said the cross project is an outreach project to connect with those who might otherwise be out of reach of organized religion.

“We’re not trying to appeal just to Morgan County,” he said. “That’s why we named this the Cross of North Alabama. We would like to have all the counties in north Alabama, all the Christians and people in those counties. And it’s not just Christian people. There are a lot of people who are very morally sound and maybe God’s talking to them and they won’t participate (in church). And we would love to have them because then they get to know us on a personal level and can come and see what Christians do.”