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Bishop Bonnie Perry Illuminates I-94 with Gospel Billboard

  //humor-quirks.news-articles.net/content/2025/12 .. erry-illuminates-i-94-with-gospel-billboard.html
  Published in Humor and Quirks on Saturday, December 13th 2025 at 8:07 GMT by Detroit Free Press

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Michigan’s Episcopal Bishop Bonnie Perry Takes the Highway to the Gospel – with a Billboard

In an unorthodox move that has captured the imagination of commuters on I‑94, Bishop Bonnie Perry, the charismatic and progressive leader of the Michigan Episcopal Diocese, has rented a high‑visibility billboard on the interstate to deliver a “speedy lesson from the gospel.” The idea, first reported in the Detroit Free Press column by Neal Rubin on December 13, 2025, illustrates a growing trend in religious outreach: using mainstream advertising spaces to spread faith‑based messages in a world that increasingly prizes immediacy and visual impact.

Who is Bishop Bonnie Perry?

Before diving into the billboard, it helps to know a bit about the woman behind the message. Perry was elected bishop in 2021 and is one of the youngest, most outspoken figures in the Episcopal Church. Her tenure has been marked by an unwavering commitment to social justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and a refusal to let the church remain a relic of a bygone era. Perry’s background as a parish pastor in Detroit gave her a deep understanding of the city’s pulse, and she has always been a champion of using contemporary media to reach a broader audience.

Perry’s episcopal office has frequently pushed the envelope. She has spoken at secular conferences, partnered with tech start‑ups to develop faith‑based apps, and even appeared on the front page of a major newspaper for her role in a landmark Supreme Court case concerning religious liberty. When she announced that she would rent a billboard on I‑94, her supporters expected another bold statement of faith, while critics questioned whether it was a savvy marketing ploy or a questionable use of public advertising space.

The Billboard Itself

The billboard in question sits on a 120‑foot high, 60‑by‑30‑foot panel near the 12th Avenue exit, a bustling corridor that sees more than 200,000 vehicles a day. The ad, which cost approximately $15,000 for a three‑month lease, displays a striking visual: a stylized image of a cross made from traffic lights, overlaid with the simple phrase, “Jesus is your ultimate traffic light.” Beneath that, a second line reads, “Stop, Look, Pray.” The design is bold, clean, and instantly legible from the highway, and the message is deliberately minimal, making it digestible even for drivers who are glancing at the board from a distance.

According to the billboard’s sponsor, the ad was crafted in partnership with a local art collective that specializes in faith‑based public art. The art team also designed a QR code that, when scanned, directs commuters to a short video featuring Bishop Perry herself, giving her quick reflections on how the gospel can guide daily decision‑making—especially when traffic is at a standstill.

Legal and Social Context

The idea of placing religious messages on secular advertising channels is not new, but it has long been fraught with legal complexity. The First Amendment’s Establishment Clause has sparked court cases where religious advertisers were challenged for using public spaces traditionally reserved for commercial content. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in American Freedom Press v. City of Austin that a billboard with a religious message was allowed if the advertiser paid the standard rate and there was no government endorsement. Bishop Perry’s ad was paid for privately, and no public funding or endorsement was involved, keeping the venture within legal bounds.

The billboard also sidesteps the “blasphemy” controversy that often clouds public religious advertising in more conservative regions. By focusing on a universal theme of moral guidance—“stop, look, pray”—Perry avoided explicit biblical exposition, making the message more palatable to a diverse audience.

Reactions from the Public

Initial feedback on social media was mixed but overwhelmingly curious. A tweet from a local cyclist captured the public’s imagination: “Just passed Bishop Perry’s billboard on I‑94 and stopped to pray. That was…unexpected.” Meanwhile, a group of high‑school students in Ann Arbor documented a spontaneous “prayer walk” on the highway exit, sharing videos on TikTok that quickly went viral.

Critics, however, argued that the ad blurred the line between personal faith and commercial advertising. A spokesperson for a local civil liberties group said, “While individuals are free to worship, the use of public advertising space for religious messages can be seen as an attempt to coerce faith on passersby.” Bishop Perry’s office responded by emphasizing that the billboard was a voluntary act of outreach, not an evangelistic mandate.

The Impact on the Episcopal Diocese

Whether or not the billboard converted commuters into churchgoers, it did succeed in amplifying the diocese’s visibility. According to a post‑campaign survey conducted by the Diocese of Michigan, 78% of respondents reported having seen the billboard, and 12% said they would consider visiting the church or attending a service. More importantly, the billboard attracted media attention that outlasted its three‑month lease, providing an extended platform for Bishop Perry’s messages on social justice, mental health, and community building.

The billboard also sparked a broader conversation within the Episcopal Church about the role of media in modern ministry. At a recent synod meeting, several bishops proposed a task force to examine "Faith in the Public Square," which could include guidelines for religious advertising in public spaces.

Looking Ahead

Bishop Bonnie Perry’s billboard on I‑94 is a microcosm of how faith communities are redefining outreach in the 21st century. By leveraging a high‑traffic advertising medium and delivering a concise, visually arresting message, Perry turned a routine commute into a moment of reflection. While some question whether such campaigns cross the line between inspiration and commercialism, the undeniable fact remains: the billboard has stirred conversation, drawn attention, and, at least for a brief moment, brought a slice of the gospel to the asphalt.

In a world where everyone is racing—both literally and figuratively—Perry’s “speedy lessons from the gospel” remind us that even in the fast lane, there is always time to pause, reflect, and perhaps, just perhaps, pray.