After a husband-and-wife pastor team resigned Dec. 9 from Greg Locke’s central Tennessee church, Locke fired back Sunday, saying they were “trying to destroy the work of God.”

In a fiery diatribe that lasted about 30 minutes, Locke said he wasn’t going to take their allegations of spiritual abuse, financial mismanagement and a lack of accountability lying down.

“I was going to be real calm and humble,” Locke told congregants at Global Vision Bible Church in Lebanon, due east of Nashville. “But I’m sick of people trying to destroy the work of God over a bunch of lies, and a bunch of nonsense and a bunch of foolishness.”

Justin and Kasey Greenwell, formerly the online pastors at the church, posted their resignation letter online, as previously reported by The Roys Report (TRR). 

Although Locke clearly referred to the Greenwells in his statements, he didn’t mention their name “because I wish them no evil, wish them no harm.”

But Locke responded to their allegations of financial misconduct and lack of transparency, saying: “Any person in our church that gives a dime to this church can see the books anytime you want to. We’ve always said that. Nobody asks.”

However, the Greenwells told TRR they asked Locke repeatedly to see the books, but he refused.

TRR has reached out to Locke multiple times in the last week via email and phone, asking to see the church’s financial records. The pastor has yet to reply.

Locke also took aim at the Greenwells’ announcement that they plan to publish a book about their experience at the church. He claimed they started writing this book while still on Global Vision’s payroll.

The Greenwells responded Tuesday to Locke’s remarks in a three-hour-long episode on the Cumbees Network, a YouTube channel that shares faith-based interviews. The now-former pastors said they haven’t received a dime for any book deal.

“A lot of people are just going ahead and assuming that we’re just on this like smear campaign,” Kasey Greenwell said. “That’s not the case at all … Through this book, we journey through our path of repentance. And we journey through our path of repentance, not only with the Father, but before the people.”

What Locke says about finances

Locke said he shared everything about the church’s finances with all the staff Saturday evening. He emphasized that Global Vision takes stewardship seriously. “These books will show you that every decimal and dime went exactly where it was supposed to go,” Locke said.

He said he was accused by the Greenwells and the media of stealing from the church.

TRR previously reported that Locke bought a $1.6 million home around the same time a deal for the church to buy a new building fell through due to a lack of funds. The failed deal prompted accusations that Locke used money from the church’s building fund to buy the home. 

Locke said the money for his house came from his own finances and gifts from several businessmen. He added that the money for his house wouldn’t have covered the $5 million needed for the new church building.

He then accused Love’s Way Church, the ministry that owned the property Global Vision tried to buy, of keeping the escrow money involved in the sale.

TRR reached out to Love’s Way for comment but did not hear back prior to publication.

Locke also alleged he has given the church around $2 million in the last three years from his book sales and his media company, Locke Media.

“We could be millionaires if we want,” he said. “We gave everything to this church that staff members say we are robbing from.” Locke claimed he only makes $65,000 a year in his role at Global Vision.

He also said he and his wife have given the Greenwells extensive amounts of money: $91,000 for a house down payment and $2,400 a month to cover their children’s Christian school bill.

What the Greenwells say about finances

The Greenwells responded in the episode that, regardless of what Locke says the books show, the church receives large cash donations that go unreported.

Concerning the house down payment, the Greenwells confirmed that they took the money but say they regret accepting it.

“We didn’t even know whether it was coming from the pastors or it was coming from the ministry,” Kasey said. “We probably should have asked some more questions before we received it.”

The couple said they now view the down payment as “purchased loyalty.” They added that the Lockes gave other staff members similarly large house down payments, or car payments or home birth payments.

“Every single person had a price,” Kasey Greenwell said. “There was plenty of times where you know things weren’t right, and you always had that thing in the back of your mind — like, ‘I can’t go against these people. Like they did this wonderful thing for me. Like if it wasn’t for these people, I wouldn’t be in my house.’”

Regarding the Christian school tuition, the Greenwells said that they received several hundred dollars a week as part of their pay from the church for childcare.

Responding to allegations of spiritual abuse

In response to the Greenwells’ allegations that he spiritually abused his staff, Locke said he has already repented for being a “lousy pastor” during the time when his church met in a tent.

But he likened Kasey’s allegation that his wife, Tai, created a cutthroat environment by choosing favorites and pitting people against each other to petty “gripes.”

“If you think you’re going to drag this church through the mud, draw people out of it, and then publicly besmirch my wife for no reason, ’cause you got your feelings hurt ’cause you didn’t get your nails done, and you are going to write a book about it,” Locke said. “Don’t think for a second that as a shepherd I am going to take that lying down.”

However, the Greenwells say the spiritual abuse was real, and about 20 people have been fired from Global Vision in the last four years.

Kasey said during the episode that it got to the point where she thought, “I cannot keep doing this, looking people in the eye and being like, ‘Oh yeah, this is a church that loves you. This is a church that wants the best for you.’”

She continued, “They look at people as assets to move the ministry machine forward. And they don’t look at them as people that God has been entrusted to them.”

Liz Lykins is a correspondent covering religion news for The Roys Report, WORLD Magazine, and other publications.