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Grammy winner fights to save church founded by her ancestor
Apr 9, 2025
A Grammy award-winning singer is battling to save the Nashville, Tennessee, church founded by her great-grandfather.
Amy Grant, a Christian pop star known for hits such as 'Baby, Baby' and 'That's What Love Is For,' is fighting to take back the landmark, which she claimed was 'steeple-jacked.'
The six-time Grammy winner's great-grandfather, Andrew Mizell 'A.M.' Burton, founded the Central Church of Christ in the 1920s with a deed requiring that the building solely be used as a worship site.
Grant accused businessman Shawn Mathis of taking over the church and its assets, arguing the now-shuttered building is no longer being used for its intended purpose, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Mathis denied the allegations, claiming the church is still engaged in missionary work, including online ministry, and accused the family of being motivated by the church property's rising market value.
A 2024 assessment valued the building - located in booming downtown Nashville - as worth $6.7 million, excluding its parking lots which generate monthly revenue.
'This is all about the legacy of A.M. Burton,' Grant told the WSJ. 'To me, the family has to get involved because otherwise, that property is at a standstill. And that doesn't make any sense.'
A once thriving ministry, the church's membership dwindled to a few dozen elderly congregants over the years.
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