Amy Grant Has Regained Control Of A Historic Downtown Church
Amy Grant Wins Legal Battle Over Historic Downtown Church
Grammy-winning singer Amy Grant and her family have officially regained control of a historic downtown Nashville church founded by her great-grandfather nearly a century ago. A judge ruled that the Nashville Church of Christ violated the original 1925 deed for the property on Representative John Lewis Way, meaning ownership reverts to the Burton family estate. The settlement ends a five-year legal battle between the church’s current leaders and Grant’s family, who argued the property had strayed from its original mission. Grant told the Journal that she was relieved by the court’s decision and that “our relationship with Shawn Mathis is now finished.”
Burton was a successful insurance company founder and donated much of his wealth to Christian organizations and charities when he died in 1966. The church, which boasted hundreds of members in its heyday, was left boarded up thanks to Mathis, who had been serving as its director.
Burton’s descendants and court filings allege that after Mathis joined the church in 2017, he pushed out longtime members and assumed control of the church and its assets, estimated to be worth about $30 million.
Jeremy Goolsby, an attorney representing the church for Mathis, told the Journal that his client committed no wrongdoing and “made the strategic decision to settle the very narrow litigation related to certain deed restrictions.” Most of the proceeds from the court-ordered sale will go toward charitable causes.
Church Burglary Suspect Busted In Huntington Beach
A ex-con who’s accused of breaking into several churches was arrested by Huntington Beach Police in California. Investigators say Juan Carlos Montiel was caught last week. Back in August, he allegedly tried to pose as an electrician when he approached the First Christian Church in Huntington Beach. A church employee told him to leave and called the cops. Police think the 44-year-old also broke into churches in Fountain Valley and Los Angeles County. He has a long rap sheet of burglary convictions going back to 2007.
