Hagee's Elephantine Excess

[Jerome]

Cornerstone Church Set to Unveil $5 million Noah's Ark

Cornerstone Church Executive Pastor Matthew Hagee stands Monday in the new Ark children's building at Cornerstone Church. The new building houses a replica of the biblical Noah's Ark complete with animatronic animals like an elephant, a zebra, frogs, Penguins and more.

The Ark has vestibule entrances with outdoor scenes of the ship's hull, crafted with alder wood panels. At one vestibule will be a talking macaw playing host.

Each of the animals in the central area of the hull — from a tortoise, sheep and zebra to a rhinoceros, lion and elephant — will be named for a great church figure from history, Matthew Hagee said

Nine of the 16 creatures will be animatronic, created by Animal Makers, a Southern California firm that specializes in robotic animals for Hollywood movies.

Some are new, and some were formerly leased. The rhino, for example, had a short appearance in the John Cusack film “2012,” Hagee said.

Asked whether the animatronics was too extravagant, Hagee said no — not when today's culture bombards children with competing venues for their attention on Sundays, from recreational sports to theme parks to kid-themed pizza restaurants.

“If casinos can build opulent buildings to incentivize gamblers to want to come and enjoy their weekend, how then can you justify not building something that would incentivize people to come and hear about the Word of God?” he said. “I don't have any problem with somebody saying it's over the top.”