Court rules in favor of Amy Grant’s family claim on Nashville church

In downtown Nashville’s rapidly changing urban landscape, church buildings are among its most inert. The growing city — a veritable mecca of low taxes and bridesmaid parties — is peppered with ancient churches, many of which have seen better days.

Christ Church Cathedral and Downtown Presbyterian, although located mere blocks from the tourist heart of the city, often are utilized as parking lots more than dens of atonement for passersby, deeply ensnared by the siren call of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.

This too was the fate of the historic Central Church of Christ, currently known as Nashville Church of Christ despite not hosting in-person services. The church accrues $40,000 per month from its two downtown parking lots.

Now, that property may live to see a renewed purpose in its mission. After a five-year court battle, the church’s ownership has reverted to the family of Christian singer Amy Grant, whose great-grandfather founded the church a century prior.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Tennessee State Court ruled Oct. 8 that deed restrictions should result in the $11 million property reverting to the Burton family estate unless it is being used as a church. Despite being officially operated as Nashville Church of Christ since 2018, the court found the ministry’s lack of services held in the building violated the deed, as the entity was operated as a nonprofit corporation rather than a church. The settlement will force a sale of the property that will be split 80% with Burton’s descendants and 20% with the current occupants, whom the Burton family believes acquired the property wrongly.

The decision was the culmination of an alleged takeover by local businessman Shawn Mathis, who is currently the church’s elder and health care missions minister. He has been accused of “steeple-jacking” by former congregants, pushing out longtime members and installing “a handful of supporters who are paid from church coffers.”

At the time of the alleged takeover, the church had only a few dozen remaining elderly congregants. Mathis showed up, joined the church and impressed the remaining members, who gave him more leadership. By 2018, Grant’s cousin Andy Burton alleged the church’s few remaining members were being “chased away.”

Matthis had joined the church’s elder board shortly after joining the church in 2017, and he began making significant changes, including merging the church with his nonprofit corporation.

Mathis reportedly dismissed the allegations as an attempt to oust him from a valuable property. He reportedly stated, in a 2019 speech at nearby Faulkner University, that he felt called to use his skills as a businessman to revive the church, saying, “The church will thrive as much or more than we’ve ever seen it.”

In a statement after the court ruling, Mathis’ attorney, Jeremey Goolsby, said the church would be investing the money earned from the forced sale into its ministry.

Grant and Burton have said they wish for the property to be used for charitable purposes and are working with local philanthropists to see the building converted for philanthropic purposes. This would be in line with the elder Burton’s legacy; he used the historic church in its day as a place of assistance for those in need, providing a free library, with housing, food and education for the poor.

On Oct. 4, his descendants honored the centennial anniversary of the original church by launching a new charity called the A.M. Burton Matthew 25 Fund, which aims to “preserve, impart and build upon the guiding values of A.M. Burton, to elevate his legacy of selfless generosity and faith in action, and to furnish charitable services that uplift individuals and strengthen our community.”

Both Amy Grant and Andy Burton intend to donate their portion of the sales revenue to the charity.

“This year, Central Church of Christ should be celebrating a 100-year anniversary of serving the community,” Burton said. “Instead, it stands as a shuttered eyesore in the very heart of our city. Our hearts remain broken for the members who abruptly lost their beloved church home in 2018. … But we hope this significant milestone will shift the focus toward healing and moving forward.”

Grant added: “We start from humble beginnings, just like Burton. We will be guided by his example of service, community empowerment and civic responsibility, with a core mission to uplift individuals and thus strengthen our city.”

Mathis and Nashville Church of Christ talks a big game about promoting the gospel to a diverse global audience in online materials while owning a locked church in a city with significant needs.

“A reporter recently visited the shuttered property and found it locked, with homeless men living on the porch. They said they had never seen the building open,” the WSJ reported.

The church also faces separate litigation from the state attorney general alleging it inappropriately co-mingled its missionary funds. The church owes $600,000 in back taxes, while several of its ministers earn six-figure salaries with $2,000+ monthly housing allowances. Harvard University filed a cease-and-desist letter with them for claiming affiliations to their institution that did not exist.

Former church member Howell Townes told the WSJ of Mathis: “He’s getting paid extremely well for shutting down the Lord’s church in downtown Nashville.”