The Journal. — "The Battle Over a Church Worth Millions"

Date: December 18, 2025
Hosts: Ryan Knudson & Jessica Mendoza
Featured Guests: Cam McWhirter (WSJ journalist), Amy Grant (musician & descendant of church founder)

Episode Overview

This episode digs into the high-stakes legal and moral fight for control of Nashville's Central Church of Christ, a once-thriving congregation now at the center of a multimillion-dollar property battle. The saga involves dwindling membership, alleged "steeplejacking," and a legal battle pitting Grammy winner Amy Grant’s family—descendants of the church’s founder—against a new leadership group led by Shawn Mathis. Through this story, the episode spotlights a broader, often-overlooked phenomenon: what happens to aging church properties with valuable assets as their congregations fade?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Decline and Revitalization Attempt

• Historic Roots (00:05 – 06:46):

  • Founded in 1925 by insurance executive A.M. Burton to help Nashville’s needy.
  • The church once boasted hundreds of members, ran a daycare, and provided community support.
  • Membership declined as congregants moved to suburbs, but the church retained valuable assets:
    • $11 million building (2025 assessment)
    • Two lucrative parking lots ($40,000/month revenue)
    • $3 million in bank/endowment funds for missionary work

• Shawn Mathis Arrives (00:46 – 07:18):

  • In 2017, newcomer Shawn Mathis attends a service and is welcomed into leadership due to his relative youth and enthusiasm.
  • Mathis outlines “big plans” to revive the church, including leveraging the internet and expansive missionary work.
  • Quickly takes control of the board, renames the church, and shifts focus toward broader, online ministry efforts.

Quote:
"He was very interested in talking about reviving the church... expand its mission to the whole world via the Internet. He had big plans."
— Cam McWhirter (01:19)

• Controversial Changes (07:18 – 08:22):
  • Under Mathis, the church ceases weekly services, pays Mathis and his father salaries, and offers housing stipends—raising red flags for long-term congregants.
  • Longtimers begin questioning finances and leadership, eventually leaving as they feel pushed out.

2. Family Legacy Meets Modern Conflict

• The Burton Family Gets Involved (08:33 – 11:35):
  • Amy Grant and cousin Andy Burton become concerned as the church appears abandoned and boarded up.
  • Their connection is personal—A.M. Burton was their great-grandfather.

Quote:
"I can see the boarded up church... Now it's just stripped of everything. It's stripped of everything, including water services and electricity."
— Amy Grant (10:36)

• Grant says A.M. Burton’s intention was to serve all people—"the pauper and the successful businessman"—and the current state of the church “was not being used for anything.”

3. The Legal Battle & Unusual Deed

• The Trigger: Original Deed Clause (12:55 – 13:44):
  • The original 1925 deed stipulated:
    • The property remains a church, but if worship ends, it reverts to the Burton family.
    • The cessation of services under Mathis triggers the clause.

Quote:
"In the deed he includes a provision that says this building is in perpetuity... as long as there's church services. And if there aren't, then the property reverts back to the family."
— Cam McWhirter (13:09)

• Litigation Unfolds (13:44 – 16:00):
  • The Nashville Church of Christ (Mathis’s group) sues Amy Grant and the Burtons, arguing the deed no longer applies. Litigation drags on for years.
  • Mathis’s lawyer claims the Burtons are motivated by the property’s high value.
  • The broader, rarely-discussed issue of “steeplejacking” emerges:
    • Definition: A younger outsider takes over an aging, wealthy congregation.
    • The phenomenon is growing in America, as many small, independent churches lack oversight and have sizable assets, but dwindling congregations.

Quote:
"Steeplejacking is like carjacking. A group or an individual comes along... expresses interest in joining the church and the next thing you know, they're in charge."
— Cam McWhirter (14:59)

4. Settlement and Future Vision

• Settlement Terms (16:51 – 17:36):

  • In October, a settlement is reached:
    • The church building reverts to the Burton family.
    • Parking lots remain with Mathis’s group.
    • Proceeds from the building sale: 80% to Burtons, 20% to Mathis’s group.
  • The church’s attorney says the proceeds will be invested in global missionary work.

• Amy Grant’s Hopes (17:57 – 18:52):

  • For Amy, the settlement “feels like a first down”—not the end.
  • She’s spoken with groups about converting the building into a new center for the unhoused and community groups, continuing the legacy of service.

Quote:
"People would gather and sing and pray every week. If somebody was homeless, they were fed without question. I mean, it’s not an impossible dream."
— Amy Grant (18:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Internet and Modernization:
  "We have advantages that others did not have in the past. We have the Internet. We have the Internet."
  — Shawn Mathis (clip, 01:32)

• On the Disappearance of the Church’s Original Mission:
  "What was left of that investment was not being used for anything and the building’s boarded up."
  — Amy Grant (11:24)

• On the Broader Trend of ‘Steeplejacking’:
  "There are instances... where people are seeing these assets coming in and using them in ways that divert from the original intent or the intent of the religion."
  — Cam McWhirter (14:26)

• On Amy’s Personal Stake:
  "Yeah, he was my great-grandfather. I might want to step into this."
  — Amy Grant (10:56)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:05 – Introduction to the church and its history
• 01:19 – Mathis’s plans for revival
• 06:46 – Church assets overview
• 07:54 – Services stopped, controversy begins
• 09:06 – Enter Amy Grant and family concerns
• 12:55 – Discovery of deed’s unique reversion clause
• 14:59 – Explanation of “steeplejacking”
• 16:51 – Details of the settlement
• 18:20 – Amy Grant’s vision for the church’s future

Tone

The episode maintains the Journal’s trademark calm, inquisitive, and empathetic narrative style, balancing historical context, financial intrigue, and personal legacy with the gravity of a story about community, stewardship, and the evolving American religious landscape.

Summary Usefulness
If you haven’t listened, this summary provides all the critical threads: the background, timeline, actors, conflict, legal intricacies, emotional stakes, and outcome. It also captures the flavor of the reporting and the participants' voices.