Pastor Greg Locke of the Global Vision Bible Church in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, recently had to postpone his church expansion plans ahead of a deliverance service for children this Halloween due to legal action.
According to The Tennessean, a lawsuit filed by Wilson County alleges the church from doing construction work at its campus located at 2060 Old Lebanon Dirt Road without site plan approval, building permits, or land disturbance permits.
Although the church attempted to submit a building plan to resolve the lawsuit, 28 comments regarding stormwater issues remain to be addressed.
“I’ve stated we’re willing to work with the applicant to try and come to a resolution of these issues that led to the lawsuit being filed, and we feel the site plan filed is a step in that direction,” Wilson County Planning Director Tom Brashear said.
“But we still have issues we would like to get hashed out more clearly for everyone’s protection.”
Brashear also stated that the county recommended the church to postpone its building plan until at least December, The Christian Post.
Earlier this month, Locke announced he would hold a mass deliverance service for children on Halloween.
“On Halloween night, we will be doing two very important things. ... 1. We will be conducting a mass deliverance service for children. Parents, don’t miss this opportunity to pray for the freedom and healing of your children. 95% of the adults we deal with in deliverance ministry have been under attack since they were kids. This will be a powerful move of the Lord,” Locke said on Oct. 12 on Facebook, which has amassed over 3,000 comments and nearly 10,000 reactions.
“2. We will once again be burning all things related to witchcraft and the occult. Ask the Lord to show you what’s in your home that needs to be removed. I can assure you, there are some items that must go.”
In February 2022, Locke shared that he has received death threats, hexes, sex toys, and glitter bombs two months after he preached a deliverance message.
“The most dangerous message I’ve ever preached is the message of deliverance in the name of Jesus Christ. It’s caused more anger; it’s caused more pushback; it’s caused more threats, more evil, it stirred up more problems,” he said. “It’s done more to hurt people in our church — meaning that friends and family have forsaken them.”
In March of this year, Locke released his film, “Come Out In Jesus’ Name”, where deliverance ministries from himself and other pastors are featured.
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/IlonaBudzbon
Video Courtesy: The Christian Post via YouTube
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.