After years of noise complaints, controversial pastor Greg Locke is planning to move his Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, to a nearby building, Locke shared in a sermon last Sunday.
The community has been complaining of noise and zoning violations for years, and Wilson County filed a lawsuit against the church.
Locke—who’s known for burning books, hunting witches, and creating viral videos about COVID-19 and election conspiracies—said Sunday that his church has a contract for a new location. He added that the church has “30 days to close” but can close sooner if it secures the necessary funds.
“We need a pile of money” to get into the building debt free and without the bank, Locke said. “But I am fully convinced God is going to give us every dime of it.”
Locke asked for donations for the move and told his congregation that he anticipated “an extraordinary day of giving both in-house and online.”
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“We place ourselves in situations that if God don’t bail us out and come through, then it’s not going to get done. . . . That’s not reckless or foolish. That is what the Bible calls faith,” he added.
Locke noted that the move would end any legal battles against the church on its current property site.
The legal battle regarding Locke’s church
In 2023, the director of Wilson County Development Services filed a lawsuit against Locke and his church, alleging that there have been years of zoning disputes and noise complaints against Global Vision.
The lawsuit claims that Global Vision has failed to obtain proper building permits for construction over the years and has violated several county “Notice to Stop Work” orders.
Additionally, Global Vision has had an increasing number of local residents have filed noise complaints, according to the lawsuit.
While the church built a new tent to mitigate the sound, the noise complaints continued to come in, the suit noted.
The suit said that if the church fails to bring the property into complete compliance, then it will be required to “remove all buildings from the property.”
Locke previously told ChurchLeaders that he planned to countersue Wilson County. “We will not be bullied,” he said.
Now, Locke appears to have a changed attitude.
“Lawsuits are going to be null and void,” he said in the sermon. “No more sound ordinance lawsuits coming against us.”
He noted that the move is a “glorious opportunity to just really start fresh for the Lord.”
The church is “rolling out” in obedience and moving from the tent property site they have met on since 2011, Locke said. He said he is excited to move to a property that has a paved parking lot and a building with numerous bathrooms.
Locke’s history of controversial actions
Locke, an avid Donald Trump supporter, first founded Global Vision Bible Church in 2006.
In the church’s early days, he backpacked hundreds of miles for Bibles, spent three nights in the freezing cold on top of a scissor lift to support a homeless ministry, and rode a bike across the country to raise funds for a church building, The Roys Report (TRR) previously reported.
In 2016, he gained internet fame for posting a viral video on Facebook that protested Target’s gender-neutral bathroom policies.
He sparked controversy two years later, when he divorced his wife of 21 years, and within four months, married his administrative assistant and ex-wife’s best friend, Tai Cowan McGee.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Locke rose to further prominence after refusing to close down his church. Locke instead held services in an outdoor tent where he criticized other congregations for closing down and called the pandemic a hoax.
He also hosted pro-Trump activists at his church during the 2020 election and promoted election conspiracy theories after Trump’s loss.
In 2022, Locke held bonfires to burn occult-related books and other “demonic” items, including Catholic rosary beads.
That same year, he went on a literal witch hunt at his church. He stated that demons had told him that women in the church were conspiring with the devil against him.
“To God be the glory, I lie not,” he said during a church service. “We got first and last names of six witches that are in our church. And you know what’s strange, three of you are in this room right now.”
Additionally, the pastor has been featured at Christian nationalist events such as America’s Revival and disgraced former Trump official Mike Flynn’s ReAwaken America tour, TRR reported.
While Locke has been banned from both Twitter and YouTube, he currently has more than 2.3 million followers on Facebook. His church’s Facebook account has more than 97,000 followers.
Freelance journalist Liz Lykins writes for WORLD Magazine, Christianity Today, Ministry Watch, and other publications.
15 Responses
Locke also filed a knowingly false police report against me, my husband and 2 former church employees accusing us of sex trafficking children (after we left his church). He was trying to scare us into silence. Greg Locke is a liar and a fraud. This article barely scratches the surface of all of evil deeds and continue disobedience to God.
Why did he publicly lie about chiseling rocks off the Eastern Wall in Jerusalem?
Why are these fraudsters so celebrated in the Christian community? Also, dumping your wife and switching to a hotter version seems to work to their advantage. Trump gets points for having a young pretty wife. I thought God hates divorce!
What does the statement ” an avid Donald Trump supporter ” have to do with this story? This is the type of bias that makes so call jouralisimn look bad. There was no need or reason to say that.
It looks like he is on X. This article should be updated to say that. It is misleading to say he is banned.
What’s even sadder is that there people who follow him. He’s a hate monger. He says he has evidence of certain big names who are pedophiles. A sick man indeed.
What does the mention of Trump have to do with anything. If Locke had supported Kamala Harris would she have been mentioned?
Because Greg Locke made himself famous for his love for Trump and spreading election lunacy in 2020? His image and “church” is more about politics than the gospel.
It’s not very objective journalism is it. The article would have worked just as well without mention of Locke’s political leaning.
When Kamala Harris commits treason and sedition and is a 34 count convicted felon, maybe she’ll get mentioned. #goals
She has already committed treason by failing to close the border and uphold the laws of the United States.
How is that treason? P.S. – It’s not
I’m sure Mt. Juliette isn’t sad to see him go!
GVC lost its way long ago! Way before Greg’s Target video, any one remember his original rap video? He said some ridiculous nonsense about cotton picking??? I remember getting an email with him asking me, Brother…, would you mind sharing this on all your social media accounts. NOPE!
When guys like Matt and Jarred left, it’s was on a fast path to what it is today. Soo sad to see!
He’s typical of the Trump-worshipping, attention-seeking, selfish, hateful American evangelical. His circus has nothing to do with true christianity.
“I am fully convinced God is going to give us every dime of it. Locke asked for donations”
that says it all doesn’t it?
This guy is deranged, narcissist and dangerous.