Home Christian News ND Pastor Pranked With Kmart Sign on Lawn, Sparking a Selfie Trend

ND Pastor Pranked With Kmart Sign on Lawn, Sparking a Selfie Trend

paul knight
Screenshot from Facebook / @Paul Knight

Anyone who’s ever been “flocked” with flamingos for a church fundraiser can surely empathize with Paul Knight. Last week, the North Dakota pastor discovered a giant Kmart “K” sign in the middle of his snow-covered front lawn.

Although no one has claimed responsibility for the prank, Pastor Knight suspects it was some fellow staff members at Hope Evangelical Covenant Church in Grand Forks. “I don’t know who to call, ’cause I don’t know who put it up,” he says, but “you’re welcome to remove it any time.” He adds, “My wife hopes it’s gone by June, I think.”

Paul Knight’s Kmart Sign Leads to Hashtag

As news of the sign’s appearance spread, church and community members “made the pilgrimage to take pictures and selfies with this 8th wonder of the world!” as one resident describes. On Facebook, people have been posting photos of themselves next to the sign, using the hashtag #ksignselfie. Others have edited images of famous people into the shots, including the former and current U.S. president and even Jesus.

Pastor Knight posted his own selfie with the huge K, which “dwarfs” his garage. He writes: “I have a large ‘K’ for sale $100 – you pick up. No deliveries.” In the comments, someone informs him, “You probably need to stuff [the sign] in the corner of your garage for 50 years for it to be worth money.”

Referring to an article titled “Pastor requests those responsible to please remove giant Kmart ‘K’ from his front lawn,” one person writes, “Don’t believe the title… Paul is eating this up! Get out and take your selfie… If you need the location DM me.”

Kmart Sign Came From Land the Church Is Developing

In 2015, Paul Knight’s church purchased Grand Cities Mall, in central Grand Forks, with a vision of “Enriching the Community While Glorifying God.” Last year, the church sold the empty Kmart building on that property, and it’s undergoing extensive renovations. Knight believes someone on his church team arranged the delivery of the huge K from that site. But he admits he doesn’t really know who the sign “belongs to right now.”