A Grammy award-winning singer is battling to save the Nashville, Tennessee, church founded by her great-grandfather.
Amy Grant, a Christian pop star known for hits such as ‘Baby, Baby’ and ‘That’s What Love Is For,’ is fighting to take back the landmark, which she claimed was ‘steeple-jacked.’
The six-time Grammy winner’s great-grandfather, Andrew Mizell ‘A.M.’ Burton, founded the Central Church of Christ in the 1920s with a deed requiring that the building solely be used as a worship site.
Grant accused businessman Shawn Mathis of taking over the church and its assets, arguing the now-shuttered building is no longer being used for its intended purpose, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Mathis denied the allegations, claiming the church is still engaged in missionary work, including online ministry, and accused the family of being motivated by the church property’s rising market value.
A 2024 assessment valued the building – located in booming downtown Nashville – as worth $6.7 million, excluding its parking lots which generate monthly revenue.
‘This is all about the legacy of A.M. Burton,’ Grant told the WSJ. ‘To me, the family has to get involved because otherwise, that property is at a standstill. And that doesn’t make any sense.’
A once thriving ministry, the church’s membership dwindled to a few dozen elderly congregants over the years.
Amy Grant, a six-time Grammy winner, and Christian pop star, is fighting to take back her family’s Nashville church
Her great-grandfather, Andrew Mizell ‘A.M.’ Burton, founded the Central Church of Christ (pictured) with a condition in the deed that the building solely be used as a worship site
According to the WSJ, in 2017, Mathis started attending church and worked his way up to Elder status.
A year later, Mathis told the news outlet the congregation adopted a resolution to merge and convert itself into Nashville Church of Christ, a Tennessee-based nonprofit corporation.
Court documents show the building’s last church service was in 2018 and the property appears to be shuttered.
The church has been plagued with legal battles since Grant and her family hired a lawyer to investigate in 2019.
In return, the Nashville Church of Christ sued Grant and her relatives, seeking to invalidate the restrictions on the original church deed requiring it to operate as a place of worship.
The court rejected that argument and litigation over the deed restrictions is ongoing.
Tennessee attorney general filed suit against the church last year, accusing it of improperly co-mingled missionary funds with other funds, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The church, now classified as commercial property, also reportedly owes more than $500,000 in unpaid taxes.
Grant accused businessman Shawn Mathis (pictured) of a hostile takeover of the church and its assets, arguing the now shuttered building is no longer being used for its intended purpose
Grant (pictured), known for hits such as ‘Baby, Baby’ and ‘That’s What Love Is For,’ said her family is trying to save her great-grandfather’s legacy
The Wall Street Journal reported that the church’s current finances couldn’t be determined.
In response to the state attorney general’s office, the church reported that as of at least 2021, it was paying Mathis, named the church’s administrative minister, a base salary of $138,250 and a $2,000-a-month housing allowance.
Grant and her family are fighting to get the property back under the 1925 deed restriction, and state court hearings are expected in June.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .