Amy Grant’s Desperate Legal Battle to Save Family’s Historic Church
Christian music artist Amy Grant is facing an unlikely legal battle for the sake of saving her family’s historic church.
According to the Christian Post, the Christian singer along with other family members are fighting to save the former Central Church of Christ, now Nashville Church of Christ, which was started by her great-grandfather, Andrew Mizell “A.M.” Burton.
Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
Grant told the Wall Street Journal that for her, the revival of the church building is “…all about the legacy of A.M. Burton…To me, the family has to get involved because otherwise that property is at a standstill. And that doesn’t make any sense.”
The church, which has been boarded up for years, has been held up in a legal battle for years. As the Wall Street Journal notes, this issue stems from accusations that Shawn Mathis, a businessman, “took control of the church and its assets – totaling millions – by pushing out longtime members and installing a handful of supporters who are paid from church coffers…” It is believed that this took place in hopes of utilizing the building for non-profit efforts.
On the flip side, Mathis says that these claims are false, discussing how the church is being used to support the Church of Christ denomination. He believes the fight over the building is because of its estimated $30 million value.
Previously, Burton’s deed for the church required that it would be used as a Church of Christ center, and if that criteria was not met, it would be returned to his estate. While the church was a bustling center for years, its size died down within the past few years. According to decades-long church member, Howell Townes, Mathis joined the church in 2017, became an elder and soon overtook the board. The church held their final service in 2018.
As Grant and her family continue to investigate and regain control over the property, more than $500,000 in unpaid taxes were discovered.
This situation is not just a legal matter, but a deeply spiritual one, touching on family legacy, stewardship and the honoring of God’s work through generations. As this legal battle continues to unfold, let us lift up Amy Grant and her family in prayer, as well as all parties involved. Pray for wisdom, justice and peace to prevail. Ask the Lord to bring clarity to what is hidden, healing where there is division and restoration to what was meant for His glory.
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media
