‘That Pick Up Your Cross Guy’ Carries 45-Pound Symbol of Faith Across Mid-South
Photo: Jerry Sigman of Lewisburg, as “That Pick Up Your Cross Guy,” carries a 45-pound wooden cross down Goodman Road in Horn Lake. (Photos courtesy Jamie Alldread Photography)
OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. — Most afternoons, drivers across North Mississippi and the Memphis area might spot a man walking with a massive wooden cross balanced on his shoulder. That man is Jerry Sigman, known on social media as “That Pick Up Your Cross Guy.” His mission is simple but profound: share the message of Jesus by carrying a 45-pound cross through intersections and neighborhoods in the shape of a cross pattern.
Sigman, a member of Great Commission Church in Olive Branch, had the cross built by a church friend using treated four-by-four lumber. He covers his face with a towel during the walks, not out of shame, but to ensure people focus on Christ rather than him. “I don’t want them seeing me. I want them seeing Jesus,” Sigman explained.
He typically walks a mile and a half to two miles, mapping routes that resemble the cross symbol on Google Maps. Along the way, Sigman prays over the area and stops to pray with strangers who approach him. Encounters with people, he said, are what keep him going. One memorable moment came when a father stopped with his daughter, sharing his hopes of raising her in faith. “If I didn’t already love what I’m doing, I absolutely do now,” Sigman said.
Sigman’s effort, which he began earlier this year, has gained momentum on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. He posts videos and photos of his walks, with editing help from his father-in-law in New York. Beyond walking, Sigman has introduced themed days such as “Prayer Request Wednesday” and “Fun Fact Friday,” using digital platforms to extend his ministry.
While he doesn’t walk on Sundays, reserving that time for worship, or Wednesdays when he attends small group study, Sigman says he carries the cross nearly every other day of the week. Requests from residents even take him into neighborhoods to pray over communities facing struggles.
“I’m just trying to minister to people and get them to think more about Jesus,” Sigman said. “I’m not going to stop until God wants me to stop.”
