![]() Over the next three years, the Gulf Coast Campus spent every weekend setting up the church at a high school campus, worshiping together, tearing down kids classrooms and worship equipment, and packing it up until the next weekend. ![]() The Gulf Coast Campus launched on Easter Sunday 2019 and began meeting weekly. God continued to open doors as we partnered with the staff and faculty of Gulfport High and began hosting monthly worship experiences in July 2018. We enjoyed the chance to get to know our new community by hosting Camp Venture at two Gulf Coast locations in the summer of 2018. And he just shows up, looks nice on camera.After launching The Stone County Campus in the fall of 2017, Venture Church knew that God was continuing to lead us south. We raised the money to give to the schools. ![]() We gave away the clothes to the homeless. "All everyone ever sees is him giving away a check to this school on the news or volunteering at a soup kitchen or giving back here," she said. Santos also alleged that Smith would regularly take credit for the work of others. "Anyone that spoke bad about him or the church went onto this watch list with code names and explanations as to why they're not allowed," she explained. Along with the campus security team, a special team of armed bodyguards would follow Smith around."ĭestiny Santos, who served on the church's security team, told The Chattanooga Times Free Press that she was instructed to bar certain people from the megachurch. "Sunday services included light shows and congregants would provide a standing ovation when he came on stage. "Smith would regularly post to social media pictures of himself in designer sneakers and clothes," The Chattanooga Times Free Press explained. Just a few years later, in 2015, the church was named as one of the "fastest-growing churches in the country," with more than 1,000 people regularly attending sermons. This is in part due to no elder system or any leadership to force him out." His staff have almost all quit and he refused to step down. "He currently has cheated on his wife with his assistant and lead worship leader. "There could not be a more dangerous man and or organization than Pastor Tavner and Venue Church," Helton added. "I witnessed the worship pastor slam his wife against a wall in the green room prior to going on stage," he said. ![]() He alleged there were at least a dozen major problems with the megachurch, including mental and physical abuse. In hind sight I taught the 'Iranians how to make nuclear weapons' I gave a man who had very very bad intentions the ability to make a mega church," former Venue Church employee Colt Chandler Helton wrote. "I was hired by Venue church in its early days to set up its systems and structures and model anything an adult would experience on a Sunday morning. At least one former church member has aired his grievances with Smith in a public Facebook post. The alleged affair is not the only allegation against Smith. Smith is currently in the process of divorcing his wife. Several staff members at a megachurch based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have quit and are speaking out after their lead pastor was allegedly caught on video kissing a woman who is not his wife.Įight employees resigned from Venue Church last week after confronting Pastor Tavner Smith about rumors he was having an affair with a longtime employee, The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported. ![]()
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