Does This Church Really Look Like a Chicken? (There’s an Actual Debate About It)
The idea that a church building could resemble a chicken seems both bizarre and impossible — that is until you see pictures of the Church by the Sea in Madeira Beach, Fla.
The house of worship has been making international headlines over the past week after a photographer noticed some structural attributes that supposedly make it look exactly like a rooster.
From just the right angle, supporters of this notion argue that the rounded windows at the top of the church’s tower look like eyes and that the tiles that comprise a portion of its roof resemble a beak and wings, The Huffington post reports.

Photo Credit: YouTube
Now, hundreds of tourists are reportedly showing up to take pictures of the building. At least one member of the Church by the Sea is happy about the newfound attention the church is receiving. In fact, parishioner Dee Dee Parker told the Daily Mail that she finds it comical.
“It’s so funny – we were completely unaware that it had become a hit on the Internet,” she said. “We had no idea, but I’m glad we can make people smile.”
Watch a video compilation of images of the Church by the Sea, below:
And while the Daily Mail also notes that “the church’s committee” (presumably referring to staff members and leaders) find the comparison comical, HuffPost Weird News found one alleged staffer who doesn’t like the chicken-based notoriety.
“We’re not fond of it being called the ‘Chicken Church,’” the employee said. “It’s attracting people to us for all the wrong reasons. I don’t think they’re attracted to come in and worship, I think they’re making fun of it.”
So, it seems there’s some division on the matter.
Regardless of whether it looks like a chicken, the building’s design does have some practical uses that fall outside of the theological realm. A lighted cross tops the building and the church is used by sea workers to help them navigate the waters. It’s “wings” are representative of East and West, with its purported “beak” and tail symbolizing North and South, the Daily Mail notes.
What do you think? Does the church look like a chicken? Take the poll, below:
In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.















































































































Comments (79)
betterpart
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 2:08pmI quit reading when I got to the part where the anti-Christian pro-terrorist Huffington Post was mentioned.
Report this comment
VaARNG_Guardsman
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 2:21pmThat is totally a chicken…took me a second to see it.
Report this comment
Detroit paperboy
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 3:06pmThats freakin funny……makes me wana go eat at churches chicken !
Report this comment
banjarmon
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 7:29pmWhich came first….The Chicken or the Church??
Report this comment
Dr Vel
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 8:14pmSorry, but I don’t see it.
Hmm. I’m not sure.
All of these voted for Obama.
That’s why they call them low information voters.
Report this comment
John 1776
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 8:24pmThey should just roll with it and rent out some of the space for a Chick-Fil-A.
Report this comment
JGraham III
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 8:54pmMaybe it is a good thing that so many church goers are naïve about how their buildings look. the steeple for instance is in actuality a phallic symbol that goes back to pre-Constantine days when the temples all had them. In a city very near where I live is a large church that has undergone more than one ‘ownership’ from when it was first built. It was placed on what was then orchard land, so selected I was told because “no sin had been committed on the land”… really. The roof line of this church looks exactly like a large hand flipping the bird…
Then I was part of a church in a little town called Zillah that called itself the Church of God-Zillah. They even had a dinosaur made out of rebar that they used to put in local parades. It was thought that this monstrosity would actually “bring people to Jesus”. Most of what it brought was mockery and then eventually threat of a lawsuit by some pornography mill in southern California that called itself Church of Godzilla and thought that it’s copyrighted name was being infringed upon by this local group. Poetic justice? Maybe… I missed a tremendous opportunity to sneak onto the property in the dead of night and paint the stupid thing purple with a green stomach…
Report this comment
Balpit
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 10:06pmBoy, did they lay an egg when designing this church…
Report this comment
honibee
Posted on March 5, 2013 at 12:14pmJust own the look and rename it the Gospel Chicken House!
Report this comment
TGS
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:59pmQuestion is, did it look like a chicken from day one, or did it evolve into one?
Report this comment
Attention2Detail
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 2:12pmIt used to be oblong and cream colored.
Report this comment
Twobyfour
Posted on March 5, 2013 at 2:15amI wonder if they have a recording of a church bell. Maybe they could play Chicken Polka instead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxz3TUqDRa0
Report this comment
sdeakins
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:58pmLooks like Peeps.
Report this comment
zgomer
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:57pmDoes it really matter.
Report this comment
Southerner01
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:50pmHow can there be a debate?
Person 1 “It looks like a chicken”
Person 2 “yes it does”
Person 3 “yup”
Person 4 “I’m blind, so I don’t see it”
Report this comment
nc_writer
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 10:14pmyup, sorry, no doubt. It took me all of .001 seconds to see it.
The only question is whether or not someone knew before it was built.
Report this comment
perry1980
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:50pmI will be right there.
Signed
Colnel Sanders
Report this comment
The-Monk
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:48pmI’ve been there a few times in the past…. nice area.
Report this comment
jessieH
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:48pmBut which came first, the chicken or the eggcar?
Report this comment
SpankDaMonkey
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:48pm.
I sure am glad this is not a Black church, cause it would be deemed Racist and torn down faster that the LGBT crowd can say “Lickety Split!”…..
Report this comment
The-Monk
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 2:05pmToo true Spank….
Report this comment
Mandors
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 3:16pmThe “L’s” in the LGBT consider “Lickety Split” hate speech.
Report this comment
Southerner01
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:47pmFrom the angles shown, it does look like a chicken.
Report this comment
Cavallo
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:43pmOpen a Chick FIl A next door!
Report this comment
Zipit
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:53pmCAV! Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sun.! Six days as a Chick Fil A, and the church gets it on Sunday! Win, Win! Heck with next door….
Report this comment
PeachyinGA
Posted on March 7, 2013 at 1:50pm… or a Church’s Chicken franchise…
Report this comment
FlagWavingPatriot
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:42pmThat’s awesome.
If I were them, I’d get with the folks at Chick-fil-A and add a drive-thru window. Feed people and make some extra money for the church at the same time. Win-win!
Report this comment
BaldingEagle1776
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:40pmHard-hitting news. This is why #IWantTheBlaze, because CurrentTV doesn’t give me the news I demand (chicken churches, stories about marines’ dogs, etc etc).
Report this comment
stopprintn
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:49pmWell lookie there, it’s a Huf-po story.
Report this comment
AlansTigg
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 5:15pmyes because there is absolutely no room for levity, must be all doom and gloom…who’d want to smile at a time like this!
Report this comment
Grubmeister
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:39pmI think it looks like Mary. No, that’s not true. It looks more like a boy duck so it must be Jesus.
I’m sure it must be a sign for something. The end of the world? I’ll win the lottery? That I should give large portions of my salary to the church?
Report this comment
THX-1138
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:38pmLived in Marietta GA for a while, Bing “marietta chicken” for a look at a local landmark. Almost the same building!
Report this comment
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:37pmIt kind of looks like the kid from the 6th Sense…….I see dead people.
Report this comment
Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:35pmMore like a canary.
Report this comment
lynda1276
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:34pmSo funny, i pass this church everyday going and coming from work- i have also gone to several weddings there. I have never noticed this! I will have to pay attention on my way home tonight. P.S.-it is a beautiful church.
Report this comment
momrules
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:33pmDoes it look like a chicken? Yes, yes it does, but I happen to like chickens.
Report this comment
Scarbo
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:33pmLooks like a shocked and stunned chicken, seeing Col. Sanders walking up the road towards him.
Report this comment
Kisses6350
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:50pmLmaooooooooooooooo!
Report this comment
Twobyfour
Posted on March 5, 2013 at 1:46amLooks to me more shocked and awed.
Report this comment
G-WHIZ
Posted on March 5, 2013 at 10:21amChickens are female…Roosters are male….If a Rooster laid an egg on the peak of the roof…which way would it roll?? Hmmmmmmmm… .
Report this comment
LeadNotFollow
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:33pmThat’s hilarious. It looks like a cute little Chick, peeking out of an Easter basket.
Report this comment
SpankDaMonkey
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:29pm.
Well if it starts laying eggs the answer is Yes……………
Report this comment
sta
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:29pmI think it’s darling!
Report this comment
huey6367
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:28pmI think it looks like a baby duck.
Does it really matter?
Report this comment
SHASTADIANE1
Posted on March 4, 2013 at 1:28pmI think it’s funny and cute. Wonder if they knew it when they were building it or discovered in hindsight after they backed up and looked at the “whole picture”?
Report this comment