MANSFIELD, Ohio — Some may call it luck, others would say it’s merely coincidence, but the way BibleWalk has become a Mansfield mainstay is miraculous, according to the life-size wax museum’s director Julie Hardin.
Hardin became director about sixth months prior to the museum’s opening in August of 1987. And since that time, she said, “I have observed all of the miracles that the Lord has done, not only to get this [museum] open, but to keep it going forward, and more importantly, the miracles that He has done in peoples’ lives and hearts who have toured here.”
Without hesitation, she described several instances in which “the Lord provided.” Some that she highlighted dealt with how the figures for the museum were acquired.
“It’s not like we’re out there looking for [the figures]. It seems that they come to us or we just hear about it,” she said.
The first 22 figures were obtained from an outdoor Bible Walk in Pennsylvania.
A member of Diamond Hill Cathedral, which shares the same property as the museum, heard about the museum in Pennsylvania, but failed many times while trying to locate an address or a phone number.
“Totally frustrated, he knew that only one thing could possibly help this seemingly impossible situation…prayer. After prayer, he called information in Pittsburgh. The operator who assisted him wasn’t able to give him what he wanted but was able to give him what he needed,the BibleWalk website says.
“It just so happened that the operator drove by this Bible Walk every day on his way to work. The operator told him that the Bible Walk had been closed, but gave him the number of a township official. If that wasn’t enough answer to prayer, the township official lived next door to the Bible Walk owner.”
Over the years, the museum has added more figures to its three buildings, “So now we have well over 300 wax figures,” Hardin said.
She said they do not construct any of the figures themselves, but customize those they’ve received or purchased from other museums to fit their needs.
Some of the figures included in the museum once posed as Hollywood celebrities–a topic that has grabbed widespread media attention lately.
“There are some celebrity [figures] here, but not Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Burt Lancaster–those seem to be the three everyone is talking about,” Hardin said.
Hardin refuted the claim made by some media outlets that the Jesus figure used to be Tom Cruise and King Solomon was John Travolta. She said, “They took an illusion and passed it off and people replaced the truth with their own perception. Nobody fact-checked anything.”
During this recent fascination with the recycled celebrity figures, Hardin has worked hard to ensure that the overarching message of BibleWalk prevails, “which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” she said.
She said she’s been asked what her response will be to those who may visit the museum purely to see which stars they can spot, noting, “That doesn’t bother me one bit because they’re going to get more than they bargained for–they’re going to hear the Gospel and they’re the going to feel the love of God.
“So trust me, they may go in looking for Hollywood stars, but they’re not going to come out thinking of Hollywood stars.”
BibleWalk currently features 70 scenes, each of which is underscored by original music.
Tours include “The Life of Christ,” “Miracles of the Old Testament,” “Museum of Christian Martyrs,” “Heart of the Reformation,” and most recently, “Amazing Grace–The Journeys of Paul.”
Amazing Grace opened Aug. 16. The bulk of the work was done in three months, primarily by volunteers from the congregation, with the exception of curator Diane Reed, who is a paid employee with the museum.
Creating new scenes for the museum is quite the undertaking, Hardin indicated. Work often includes painting murals on the walls, creating costumes, customizing the figures, and much more, she said.
She said the congregation “really pushed itself” to have Amazing Grace open in time for the 28th anniversary of BibleWalk. She said the new tour was added in honor of Rev. Richard Diamond, who pastors Diamond Hill Cathedral and spearheaded the establishment of BibleWalk with his late wife, Alwilda.
Hardin said plans are already in motion for the next tour, which will be called “American Christian Heritage” and will review the history of America with a Christian perspective, she said.
When coming up with ideas for new additions, she said, “Prayer is essential. It’s worked all of these years, and I’m sure it’s going to continue to work in the future.”
Different rates apply for each tour. Hardin noted, “If anyone can’t afford this, we will put them through for free.”
She said they also have many free exhibits available for viewing, adding, “They’re one of a kind exhibits that you’ll never find anywhere else really in the world.”
Additionally, the museum has a dinner theatre called “Dinner With Grace,” which is held Saturdays by reservation only.
While sharing all of the unique offerings provided by BibleWalk, Hardin commented, “I’m 100 percent sold on BibleWalk.
“If I wasn’t director, I would still believe in it. My passion would still be just as strong. It has nothing to do with the job title. It has all to do with the Word of God.”
To learn more about BibleWalk, visit the website at http://biblewalk.us/.
“So trust me, they may go in looking for Hollywood stars, but they’re not going to come out thinking of Hollywood stars,” Julie Hardin said.
