APOSTATE TENNESSEE PASTOR GREG LOCKE: “PUT AWAY” WIFE, CHURCH SECRETARY “MISTRESS” TAI MCGEE, CHURCH MEMBER BEATINGS, PLAGIARISM, ETC.
(AND VEHICLE IN CHURCH’S NAME)
According to Pulpit and Pen’s report, the controversial pastor was allegedly in a relationship with Tai McGee, an administrative assistant at Global Vision Church.
“Tai was given a ministry position at the church shortly before this unfolded. Pulpit & Pen has seen text messages between Greg and others, acknowledging that he was indeed in a relationship with the woman, Tai. They have begun doing things together with their mutual families. We have also seen photos of the two together,” the report said.
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Greg Locke is founder and pastor of Global Vision Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. He’s best known for his Facebook presence, and has over one million ‘likes’ on Facebook and it is not uncommon for him to have hundreds of thousands – or even millions – of views on his Facebook videos. Locke is a conservative politically and a pseudo-fundamentalist doctrinally. Mostly, however, he focuses on politics and current events. Here’s a post of his shared by Milo Yiann-I-forget-he’s gay:
And here is Locke making videos against those liberals down at Target:
Locke seems to have started out like an alright, run-of-the-mill, semi-conservative preacher. Perhaps the spotlight has become too much for him.
According to sources at Global Vision Church in Mt. Juliet, Greg Locke has put away his wife. About a month ago*, he said he was not going to go live on Facebook that week. He claimed that his wife, Melissa, was mentally ill and that they were getting a divorce. Ostensibly, much of the crowd had no idea what “illness” he was talking about.
Locke then laid out ultimatums to the congregation, telling them that they had to walk with him in his “brokenness.” Immediately, it became relatively common knowledge that Greg and “Tai” were having a relationship. Tai was given a ministry position at the church shortly before this unfolded. Pulpit & Pen has seen text messages between Greg and others, acknowledging that he was indeed in a relationship with the woman, Tai. They have begun doing things together with their mutual families. We have also seen photos of the two together.
Locke claims that his church staff knows he’s in a courtship (or whatever word you prefer) relationship with the woman, who is not his wife. Keep in mind that he only announced the separation from his wife a month ago.* He literally put his wife on a bus and sent her away.
Sadly, we have also seen Greg call out one woman in his church – by name – in the middle of a sermon, for caring about his home not being in order. It was a shocking display of pulpit-bullying. In the meantime, the press has yet to report on Locke’s divorcing of his wife or his new relationship. People within the church are hurting, and want it to be exposed.
Now that we have, they soon will.
We asked Locke for comment, but at the time of publishing, he has not returned our message.
[Editor’s Note: We would love to provide more detailed information, but we are trying to protect the wife and several other victims. More information will be forthcoming in future days. We are as right here as we were on Clayton Jennings, who by the way, was an associate of Greg Locke. * It should be noted that Locke pulled his endorsement from Clayton Jennings’ book, upon our reporting of Jennings. So he gets credit for that]
[*Editor’s Note 2: After speaking with Locke, his wife has been gone for a little more than 2 months – not one month as reported above]
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republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Greg Locke, an Internet-famous pastor from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, admitted to his 1.6 million Facebook followers that he had indeed been in the midst of a divorce, after we wrote about the situation here. In the aforementioned video from Locke, he acknowledges the divorce, but claims that he was not in adultery. When I spoke to Locke on the phone, as I stated in this podcast episode, he said that we was “moving on with his life.” When asked if he was “moving on” with the woman (a church staffer) in question, he acknowledged that it was a possibility. When further asked if the female staffer – who is also in the midst of a divorce – had yet finalized the termination of her own marriage (legally), Locke said he did not know.
While claiming to be “innocent” of them all, Locke did not contradict any specific accusation we presented to him. He did, however, place blame upon those in his congregation who had alerted the world to his divorce.
What we can affirm without question is that Locke indeed put his wife on a bus and she currently lives in a shelter for women. We (by that I mean one of my contributors, Seth Dunn) has spoken to the woman who runs that shelter. We discovered where Locke’s wife is living due to a pastor who is familiar with the situation, reaching out to us with a phone call and wanting us to know that Melissa was not – as some had actually wondered – dead somewhere.
He asked us to defend and support Locke’s wife, but also to keep her location confidential. Additionally, she has been ill, and in the hospital. By Locke’s own declaration, which he made on Facebook, he had to arrange the retrieval of some of her belongings due to the abrupt nature of her disappearance.
At least one of the women also living at the shelter has spoken out on Facebook, but we have digitally removed her name to protect the innocent (women’s shelters – quite rightly – require extreme privacy because of the nature of their ministry).
Since we first posted about Locke, and the story was picked up by the Christian Post and other news outlets, current and former church members, including relatives of the staff member with whom Locke has had a relationship, have begun speaking out all over the Internet.
Locke drew the ire of church members for appearing in public, as though on a date, with the female staff member. With his children still living with his mother (some – according to both his mother and Locke himself- have not wanted to be with their father, and some have returned since the story broke), Locke was spending time with the divorced staff member and her children.
We think this picture is worth a thousand words (it was the Facebook profile picture of a close relative, whose identity we are being discreet and sensitive about, because there is no reason for them to be brought into this by us or anybody else).
One person (local to the area) texted Greg to find out why in the world he would be seen in public in such a way within days of putting his wife on a bus. Locke lit into them, claiming his church staff were well aware (a staff that includes the woman in question).
The name obscured below is that of a family member of the staff person, who is reportedly incensed that her loved one is in such a relationship with Locke.
Indeed, his mother does know. What is this time obscured below are comments regarding minors and others whose inclusion is both unnecessary and inappropriate.
Since then, the Facebook page of the staff member under discussion has been made private (or taken down, we are unsure which). Likewise, Locke has taken down his video response to our post in the wake of some in the local community calling foul on it’s inaccuracies. Again, the obfuscating, red herring video Greg Locke posted in self defense has been removed due to what appears to be local pressure.
These individuals are either former members of Locke’s congregation or locals to the Mt. Juliet area (we have confirmed this). The following is just a sampling of what’s been made public via social media. While we cannot vouch for every testimony of every person – we can vouch for our own.
To reiterate, the staff member’s family has testified to Locke’s relationship with the woman, Greg’s family has testified to Locke’s relationship with the woman, and Locke himself acknowledged to us that he’s “moving on with his life” possibly with this woman.
But even more disturbing is Locke’s treatment of those in the congregation who have spoken out about the whole ordeal. I covered it on yesterday’s webcast. You can pick up at the pertinent portion at the 44.30 mark.
Now, what this sermon review will make perfectly clear (should you choose not to listen) is that at the end of November 2017, Locke had already told his congregation that his marriage was crumbling but had not told his 1.6 million Facebook followers.
By this time some of his church had left (in his now-deleted video, Greg said “lots.” In the sermon I reviewed I believe he said 20 or so, something like that, and so the numbers may have increased) over the divorce. Greg preaches from the end of Acts and Paul’s shipwreck, upon the island of Miletus, when he is bitten by a viper. In this crime of a sermon, Locke makes the Biblical story into an allegory in which he is Paul, and his critics (he has one in particular in mind) is the viper.
He declares his critics “no more saved than a dog,” calls them “stupid” and says “stupid people get [him] lit.” He also tells them “not to let the door hit you where the good Lord split you.” He tells them to leave the church and says he does not want them back. He proclaims himself happy to start the church over again, and to sell the church building to a bowling alley.
It was the most atrocious display of sheep-beating I have ever personally witnessed. He then calls a woman out by name (we have seen her financial giving statement, and she was a solid and regular giver, which might seem impertinent except to demonstrate her commitment to Locke’s church) from the pulpit and threatens that if people keep criticizing him, he’ll call out their name in the pulpit next (1.16.30 mark).
The final irony in all of this is that it really wasn’t his own sermon he was preaching (except for when he turned his guns on his own congregation). As I demonstrated in the program, his message is seemingly derived (at some points line-by-line) from another Tennessee preacher. You can compare Locke’s message on SermonAudio with Jeremy Bollinger’s message on SermonAudio (by the same title, “Shake it Off”)
EDITOR’S’s NOTE:
Gentlemen, do not think about taking them down; they’ve already been saved to the Cloud. Bollinger preached his message years ago. When we contacted Bollinger, he says he got the message from “Kenny Baldwin.” My question is, does anybody in Tennessee write their own sermons, anymore? Making the Acts 28 story about gossip isn’t exactly taken from the text, but forced into it. How many people can come up with that bizarre eisegesis on their own? Seriously, pastors. Write your own sermons.
PASTORAL NOTE
As I demonstrated in the webcast, the point of all of this is that the Bible has specific standards laid out in the pastoral epistles for qualifications for pastoral service (1 Timothy 3 is a good place to start). Locke said in his now-deleted video that he wasn’t stepping down because his church didn’t want him to.
A few problems with that. First, it’s not up to the church, as the local church cannot override the Word of God and next, after watching Locke metaphorically beat a poor woman from the pulpit, it’s no wonder others are scared to death of him.
Another issue is this; it’s really hard to find time to write your own sermons when your life is clearly out of order and upside down. Most pastors who plagiarize their messages do so because they either feel an (unnecessary) pressure to “perform” well or because they haven’t properly prioritized their time. It’s for this reason that Paul writes, “If a man cannot rule his own household well, how can he rule the household of God?”
Amazingly, at one point in the sermon Locke preached (I dare not say his sermon), he said, “If you can’t trust me in my character how can you trust me to handle God’s word” (that’s a paraphrase, I will not torture myself by listening to it twice). The fact that Locke did not handle God’s Word well in this sermon might indicate the opposite point to the one Locke meant to convey; if you can’t trust his character, you probably can’t trust his handling of the Word.
Third (I’m keeping track even if you aren’t), some might ask why we do this. We’ve been accused of being atheists or homosexuals, but nope. All of our team are Baptists (some of us Southern Baptists, some of us Reformed Baptists, some of us in Bible churches that are Baptist in everything but the name) in right standing with local churches. If we don’t monitor and correct our own hypocrisy, we will have led the world to lift our Savior to shame. Believe it or not, there are a whole host of people who need Jesus who have said, “Well, at least you’re not helping to sweep this under the rug like so many others.” No, we are not trying to sweep this under the rug because of point four below.
Fourthly, we correct ourselves (that is evangelicalism in general), because we have no need to hide our sins. We have a Savior. His name is Jesus. He forgives all sins of all those who by faith are justified before God. That type of justifying, saving faith is the type that leads us to repentance and a turning from sin. If you had no Savior, I suppose it would make sense to hide and cover-up trespasses. But because we have a Savior, we can freely admit our sin, confess it as sin, and be forgiven.
What Greg Locke needs – and what he can freely have – is absolution. He can be forgiven. This doesn’t mean that his qualifications for ministry are automatically (or ever, depending upon your ecclesiological viewpoint) restored. What it does mean is that he can shout Romans 8:1 from the rooftops.
“There is, therefore, now no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus.”
But, before one is forgiven, they must confess. They must confess contritely. They must cling to Jesus more than their own career or standing in the public eye.
Unlike what Steven Anderson espoused on my program yesterday (with which I disagreed), no one is beyond forgiveness. But please, for the sake of your soul everyone, confess your sin as sin (not “being messy” or “mistakes” or “a weird place,” as Locke called it), own up to it, and be forgiven.
It’s in forgiveness that the running stops. It’s in forgiveness that the spin machine stops turning. It’s in forgiveness that the heart can rest. It’s in forgiveness you can surrender and truly, honestly, and righteously “move on with your life.”
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republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Are you a member of Global Vision Bible Church? Are you afraid of Greg Locke?
This week, I had the extreme displeasure of listening to his sermon “Shake it Off.” I use the term “his” loosely because it seems he plagiarized the sermon from another Tennessee preacher. What he didn’t plagiarize was the vicious signal he sent from the pulpit message to any congregant who would dare speak out against him. In his sermon, Locke called out a female congregant by name who has been critical of him on social media for his disqualifying actions. To quell additional criticism of his popular, public pastorate Locke loudly shouted “You think you’re nervous now? You wait till the next five or six names keep running their mouth and I’ll call them from the pulpit. Don’t you think I won’t. Don’t you think I won’t.”
Did that shut you up? Did that make you scared of losing your friends and drawing the ire of Locke’s thousands of Facebook followers?
You don’t have to be.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, not Greg Locke. You don’t have to be afraid of him. He’s not God’s anointed. He’s an entrepreneurial speaker who started his own church and started an internet “ministry” of preaching to the masses. When the internet masses find out that Greg Locke is divorcing his wife (a woman who has been reduced to taking refuge in a women’s shelter hundreds of miles from her children) and is now running around town with the church secretary, they can mark Locke and move on to another preacher. You can’t do that so easily can you church member?
If you leave your church, you could be leaving your friends. These are the people you eat dinner with, play softball with, go camping with, watch the Super Bowl with…these are the people with whom you live your life. You don’t want to lose them, but you know what? You need to lose Greg Locke. He’s not fit to be your pastor. He’s not fit to be anyone’s pastor. In his sermon, he defiantly and ironically screams, “You’ve hired the wrong guy.”
But you didn’t hire him did you? He personally, not another church body (this according to Locke’s church website bio) founded the church…like any small businessman. It’s his. He needs you. He needs your money. You don’t need him. Tennessee if full of churches with qualified pastors. Why are you and your precious friends and family still at Global Vision?. Is it because he has you fooled? Is it because he has you in fear?
You don’t have anything to be afraid of; Greg Locke should be the nervous one. He stands before a Holy God as a pastor who is running around with the church secretary while his wife suffers in solitude. Given enough time, the truth almost always comes to light. Greg Locke knows this as much as anybody else. He’s still holding on; don’t let him hold onto you.
Raise your voice. Help his deceived followers. Don’t let him be the worldwide face of Christianity. Is he the face of a pastor you want lost people to see? Understand, we don’t like Target or Planned Parenthood anymore than he does. We aren’t liberals out to destroy a Christian voice, we are conservative Baptists out to further the cause of Christ.
If you’ve gotten beyond the fear of being yelled at from the pulpit by Greg Locke, write to us at talkback@pulpitandpen.org and tell us your Global Vision story. Let us be your megaphone. You don’t have to be afraid or alone. We are here to help.
Have nothing to do with the unfruitful deeds of darkness but rather expose them.
[Contributed by Seth Dunn]
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
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republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
On January 8th, Pulpit & Pen published an article critical of Pastor Greg Locke’s separation from his wife Melissa, to whom he has been married for twenty years. Greg is the pastor of Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Melissa is currently residing in an out of state women’s’ shelter and has been, according to Pulpit & Pen’s sources, repeatedly admitted to the hospital with stress related symptoms. Meanwhile, sources local to Mt. Juliet have reported to Pulpit & Pen that Greg has been spotted with his church secretary,Tai McGee, attending a basketball game and having dinner (albeit with a group) at Longhorn Steakhouse. To objective onlookers, their activities and relationship appear to be romantic.
Shortly after Pulpit & Pen published its January 8th article, Locke released a video response on social media for his thousands of on-line followers. In this video, which he has since deleted, Greg attempted and defended clarification of his actions. He also therein stated, “I am a divorced pastor.” Audio from that video has been preserved on the Pulpit & Pen Facebook page and can be viewed below:
This week, Pulpit & Pen obtained copies of the Locke’s public divorce filings from Rutherford County, Tennessee authorities. The documentary evidence indicates that Greg Locke’s claim that he is a “divorced pastor” is not true. Although the Locke’s have filed a complaint for divorce and signed a Marriage Dissolution Agreement, the Rutherford County website lists their case as “open.”
The case was filed on November 13, 2017. By Tennessee State Law, no divorce involving minor children can be finalized until 90 days after the divorce complaint is filed. At present, and at the time of Locke’s video, 90 days have not as of yet expired. Circumstances indicate that Locke’s claim to be a “divorced pastor” was not truthful. On January 8th, Melissa Locke’s attorney filed a Notice of Voluntary Nonsuit. At this time, it is unclear to Pulpit & Pen whether this action is intended to halt divorce proceedings or give up the right to a hearing (the Locke’s divorce filings list their reason for separation as “irreconcilable differences” which could indicate an uncontested divorce.)
Please see (note.)
A final divorce decree does not appear to have been issued. It appears clear that Greg and Melissa Locke are still legally married and therefore, as noted above, his public assertion of his divorced status is not quite true. This is not what he indicated to his thousands of online followers in his Facebook video.
[Contributed by Seth Dunn]
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
**Many readers have reached out expressing support for Melissa. People have even offered up their homes for her. Others want her to know that her friends in Tennessee still love her. Her caretaker indicates that she is not currently in need of financial support but does need prayer. Please continue to pray for all parties involved.
(note.) The technical issue involving the previous low resolution version of this image has now been resolved.
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republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Popular internet personality and Mt. Juliet, Tennessee pastor Greg Locke said it plainly on a recent Facebook video (now removed) that addressed his followers, “I did not divorce my wife.” While making the claim, now demonstrated to be false, that he was a “divorced pastor,” Locke insisted that it was he who had been abandoned by his wife and not the other way around. The claim of abandonment is an important one for someone in Locke’s position. There are differing views among Bible-believing Christians about what situations make divorce allowable. Those who hold to the permanence view of marriage, such as the owner of Pulpit & Pen, contend that divorce is never morally permissible. Others believe that the only permissible grounds for divorce is a spouse’s adultery. Some posit that spousal abandonment makes a divorce permissible. Locke, as a divorced pastor, could lose his following and even his church for being divorced. Demonstrating that he was abandoned could help Locke retain at least some of his followers. He has already compared himself to popular preacher Charles Stanley, whose wife demanded a divorce, in order to paint himself in a sympathetic light.
Abandonment is the claim that has Locke made.
Indeed, it was Locke’s wife who filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences”. However, court records clearly show that Locke responded in agreement. In arranging what could fairly be called a “quickie divorce” Locke filed documentation with the court stating that his marriage was “irretrievably broken”. There is nothing in Locke’s divorce papers that indicate he took action to fight the divorce proceedings or demand a trial. Locke signed a Marriage Dissolution Agreement. If that’s not taking action to “divorce his wife”, no matter who filed first, then what is?
A trail of witnesses from Mt. Juliet, to Mufreesboro, to the out-of-state women’s shelter in which Melissa now resides contend that Locke coerced his subservient and obedient wife into filing divorce in order to preserve for himself the claim that he was “abandoned”. These same witnesses contend that Locke basically ordered his wife out of the state of Tennessee. The traumatized woman is now isolated far away from her home and her family. Locke is still in close proximity to his church secretary, Tai McGee. The mandatory waiting period required by Tennessee law to make Locke’s divorce final has not elapsed.
Christians still following Greg Locke’s internet antics and attending his church should ask themselves if Locke is worthy of their time and generous donations. As an outspoken moralist, Locke’s actions towards his wife (and his secretary) are on display for the lost world to see and mock. Rather than condone his continuing pastorate, Locke’s familiars would do well to encourage him to repent and reconcile with his wife.
[Contributed by Seth Dunn]
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
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republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
The following story is the product of interviews with and submissions from numerous sources local to Middle Tennessee. The truth of the reporting here is dependent on the accuracy of the information reported by those sources. Pulpit & Pen is confident in the accuracy of the information provided. Anyone with first-hand information about Pastor Greg Locke, his actions toward Global Vision Church and or his wife, is encouraged to contact Pulpit & Pen at talkback@pulpitandpen.org.
Jarrod Almond is the “Executive Pastor” of Global Vision Bible Church (GVBC). He recently walked into Nissan of Cool Springs with a check from GVBC for $60,000. He walked out with two new cars, a Maxima for himself and a Quest for GVBC Senior Pastor Greg Locke. Locke (a father of four) [1] felt the need for a new minivan; he lost possession of his 2007 minivan through signing a Marriage Dissolution Agreement (MDA) in November.
His estranged wife, Melissa, who did not have a driver’s license for the first two decades of her marriage to Greg, received the 2007 van along with monthly monetary support as a condition of her separation from Greg. She now resides in an out-of-state women’s shelter due to being coerced by her husband to file for divorce and leave the state. Greg Locke remains in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, filling the pulpit of GVBC and staying close to his church secretary, Tai McGee. Tai McGee, like Pastor Locke’s new van, is younger than his wife. At mid-life, Greg Locke, aged forty, has expressed his desire to move on with his life.
Mature for her age, Melissa met Greg through her work at the Good Shepherd Children’s Home, caring for residents there when she was just 16 years old. It was there where she would meet her future husband, Greg Locke.
Locke is the child of a broken home. His father was an incarcerated felon and he has described his stepfather as tough and uncommunicative. After several arrests, he ended up at Good Shepherd, where he seemingly turned his life around and set about to becoming a gospel preacher. Now, after coercing his obedient and submissive wife into filing for divorce, he appears to be on schedule to break, not only the home of his own wife and children, but also that of the church secretary to whom he has been romantically linked.
As the founder of his own church, the power to remain employed and supported by GVBC rests exclusively with Locke and his close ministry partners. The power to fund the church remains with donors and church members willing to look the other way from Locke’s disqualifying deeds. Despite the controversy, Locke remains as pastor of GVBC and Tai McGee remains church secretary. Even his new minivan remains at the church. At the dealership, Jarrod Almond was adamant to know how the cars could be “gifted” to the pastors of the church. This may in fact have been accomplished by titling the new cars in the name of GVBC instead of the names of Almond and Locke. Were Locke, as an employee of the church, to receive a car from GVBC it could count as approximately $30,000 worth of taxable compensation.
Such a spike in income could put his children’s eligibility for Tenncare in Jeopardy. According to their MDA, neither Greg nor Melissa have health insurance but their children have coverage through Tenncare, which is the state of Tennessee’s Medicaid program for low-income individuals.
Despite having a social media following of over a million, and a job as the pastor of a popular church, Greg Locke’s MDA indicates that he does not own any real property and possesses no health insurance coverage, yet somehow he gets by. With the controversy surrounding the putting away of his wife, some GVBC members are wondering what is happening with all the money they have been donating. Still others have been wondering what has happened to his wife, who is beloved by many back in Mt. Juliet.
One thing no one has to wonder about, is where Tai and his new van are.
[Contributed by Seth Dunn]
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
**Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article implied that the purchase of the Quest took place after the signing of the MDA. The timing of the purchase and the MDA is not currently certain to the author.
[1] Technically he is a father of three. He and his wife have been in the process of adopting a fourth child.
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SEE ALSO:
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republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
My name is Arlene Greer.
For most of my life, I was lost. In his mercy, God saved me seven years ago. The Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin and I submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. Before I came to Christ, I lived for myself; I was very much addicted to drugs and alcohol but, most of all, I was dead in my sin. Now that God has saved me, I want to live for Him. Part of doing so involves faithfully attending a New Testament church. I am currently looking for a church to join after leaving Global Vision Bible Church (GVBC), founded and pastored by Gregory Duane Locke, in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Like many others, my husband and I have left GVBC after suffering great disappointment.
We attended Global Vision for approximately two years and we very much enjoyed and appreciated the body. We liked Greg Locke’s style of preaching, he didn’t hold back from proclaiming the Bible. Everything at GVBC seemed to line up with scripture, except for the way the church was run. GVBC didn’t quite fit the mold of a New Testament church. The pastor was more of a speaker than a shepherd. My husband and I knew that Greg was a very busy man with a lot on his plate so we, like many others there, made excuse after excuse for him not conforming to the Biblical archetype of a pastor. At the very least, he was preaching the truth. Unfortunately, Greg’s lack of shepherding caught up with him and the members of GVBC. The ideas of false teachers, such as Joyce Meyer, began to be passed around the church. The prayer group had some very errant ideas. These are problems newer Christians, the kind GVBC tends to attract, wouldn’t notice. However, they were apparent to those who had been maturing in their faith. I warned Greg about the situation with false teachings amongst the body but nothing changed. Sadly, I believe there are many pastors who, while proclaiming truth, shy away from warning against error. Greg isn’t alone in this boat. However, the majority of pastors out there focus on their local churches, not their social media fame. Greg’s popularity on Facebook and other platforms seemed to be his main concern.
The elders of the church had been advising Greg to cut back on his travel schedule. They thought it was best for him to spend more time with his wife Melissa and their four children. (Melissa was uncomfortable with all the attention her family received on social media.) The elders also wanted to form a financial committee for GVBC because they questioned how money was being spent. Neither Greg nor his executive pastor Jarrod wanted or accepted this kind of accountability. They wouldn’t listen. Greg’s lack of shepherding, speaking schedule, and outward political focus came home to roost in October of last year. It was then that he announced that he was “broken” and was making some big changes that would cause those with “religious spirits” to leave GVBC. He said that he was the new Pastor Greg version 2.0. Pastor Greg 2.0, we would later learn, would be separating from his wife of twenty years.
Greg announced to the congregation that he had told his staff that it would be getting really rough around GVBC and that they would soon be walking through severe brokenness with him as a church. He said he told the staff that if this scared them that they could take 6 month’s pay in advance and leave. Greg said upon hearing this that none of the staff left. He soon addressed the congregation in an unaired sermon (not on the live stream available on the internet) and told everyone that his wife Melissa had lost her mind, cut her hair, and moved away. He told one visitor from Indiana that Melissa had been cutting herself. He said he and his wife were divorced.
I was floored. He painted Melissa as a disturbed woman who had abandoned her children and refused to talk to them. He made all of these public accusations in his capacity as GVBC’s pastor. Some people believed him but I did not. The Melissa I had known over the past two years was not a crazy child-abandoner. Greg’s announcement coincided with a shocking announcement from Chris McGee, the husband of the church secretary, Tai. Chris began to declare that Greg and Tai were messing around with one another. It was hard not to notice that Greg and Tai had been acting overly attentive to each other. In light of Greg saying he was divorced, when Chris made his announcement, it just made sense.
Uncomfortable with any kind of speculation about my pastor, I followed Matthew 18 and went to each of them privately, reaching out via text message. Both were rude and defensive to me. I encouraged them to repent, for the sake of themselves and the congregation. At that point, they wrote me off. I stopped attending GVBC. Greg Locke took the unusual step of preaching against me, by name, to the church. “Every church has an Arlene Greer!” he hollered from the pulpit. “You think you’re nervous now? You wait till the next five or six names keep running their mouth and I’ll call them from the pulpit. Don’t you think I won’t. Don’t you think I won’t.”
I’m not afraid of Greg Locke. This man went from recommending me to study the Bible at Union University to running me down before the whole congregation. What did he expect from someone who wanted to go deeper in God’s word, for me to not call him out about having an affair and sending his wife off?
When Greg’s mom, Judy, saw that I had been put out of GVBC she contacted me via Facebook messenger and asked me to call her. When I did she told me a lot. Judy was extremely upset about the entire situation. She said that Greg put Melissa on a bus and sent her away and that the kids were with her. She was extremely disgusted with Greg and Tai for having an affair and she reported to me that the kids were completely torn and that they missed Melissa really badly. Judy also told me that Greg was not helping her financially with the kids at the moment because of her objection to the affair. She said that Greg and Jarrod were very deceitful in their dealings with cash donations too. I was so upset to hear this that I contacted GVBC to ask for all my donations back.
Judy has now changed her story. It tends to change back and forth depending on how upset she gets with Greg. I struggled about coming forward for a while because the entire church had ousted me, including people whom I considered close friends. When I saw that Greg and Tai had been seen in public on a family outing that was posted to Facebook, I felt that I could finally come forward and hopefully find out what happened to dear Melissa.
This situation has been extremely hard for my family. It is hard for us to wrap our heads around the fact that our pastor just wasn’t the person that he claimed he was. We thought he was a noble man of integrity who loved his family and held close to the truth and to the standards of a pastor. He wasn’t. He won’t even address the matter without spinning his terms to fit lies and half-truths. He is stiff-necked and in total defense of his sin. He is unrepentant and has tried to throw his sweet wife, Melissa away and take everything from her, even her children. He has been attacking anyone who formerly attended GVBC, but is now speaking out on the matter. For this reason, others are afraid to speak out. For me, GVBC used to be a place of rest and love. When I was down, the church even helped me financially. Now, GVBC just seems like Greg Locke’s own personal piggy bank to me.
I don’t share my story to hurt Greg Locke. I don’t want to destroy him. I’m afraid many of the enemies he’s made on social media will seize on the opportunity of his infidelity to do so. They shouldn’t. Forgiveness comes from the same source, Christ. Whether it’s Greg and Tai or all the homosexual people on social media who are mad at Greg, it doesn’t matter. Christ forgives. He forgave me. A lot of people may point to my rough background to try and discredit me. Go ahead. I’m forgiven by Christ and I’m telling the truth. There are a lot of hurting people in Mt. Juliet right now; Greg’s internet fan-base should know what happened. To his internet fans and those still at GVBC, be careful with your money and who you trust. At the same time, always remember this:
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13
Please pray with me that Greg will repent and Melissa can get better and come home. There are people in Tennessee who love her and miss her. They don’t have to be scared of men, especially Greg Locke. They can speak up and share to all Locke’s internet fans what they need to know. Fear God and He will guide you.
[Edited by: Seth Dunn]
*Editor’s Note: I contacted Greg Locke’s mother, Judy Sumner, to verify the testimony provided by Arlene. Mrs. Sumner denies telling Arlene that Tai and Greg were having an affair. According to Mrs. Sumner, she relayed to Arlene that it was Melissa Locke’s belief that Greg and Tai were having an affair. Judy firmly stated that she did not believe that Greg and Tai were having an affair before Melissa left Mt. Juliet. Contradicting accounts provided to Pulpit & Pen by other parties in Mt. Juliet, Judy further stated that Melissa desired the divorce and left her marriage and town of her own accord and volition. Other GBVC church members are encouraged to speak out, especially if they have been in contact with Melissa, who remains in an out of state women’s shelter. Speculation about the matters being reported is not healthy.
**Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
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republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
It was January 8th and Alabama was losing 13-0 to Georgia at the half of the CFB National Championship game. I had kind of, and quite foolishly, given up on the game. Normally, I wouldn’t make a Pulpit & Pen related phone call (really any phone call) during an Alabama game. That night I did. Right about the same time Henry Ruggs caught Alabama’s first Touchdown pass, I scored some information from a nearby pastor who had reached out to Pulpit & Pen in the wake of Jordan Hall’s article Greg Locke divorces Wife, Finds New Girlfriend. Before concerned church members from Locke’s church reached out to us about their pastor’s recent and concerning behavior, the only thing I knew about Greg Locke is that he had written and retracted a forward for Clayton Jennings’ now cancelled book. Locke’s association with a characters like Clayton Jennings and Blake Reynolds didn’t paint the prettiest picture of him in my mind. The pastor I was on the phone with didn’t paint a pretty picture of Greg Locke either. This pastor (who has asked to remain anonymous) stated that he had went to school with Locke. According to him, Greg is a pathological liar who originally aspired to be a rapper and went as far as to borrow the background story of another man in that line of work. Unwilling to put something as nefarious as purposely putting his wife out of the house past Greg Locke, the pastor reacted to Jordan’s article by reaching out to Pulpit & Pen and providing the name of the Georgia women’s shelter where Greg’s wife has been living for the past few months.
And that is how I found the whereabouts of Melissa Locke.
The two women who had been sheltering Melissa since her separation from Greg told me similar stories, Greg initiated the divorce. Greg ran Melissa out of Tennessee. I for one don’t have the inclination to doubt one woman who has dedicated her life to taking care of at-risk women and another woman who graduated from one of the most respected bible colleges (Tennessee Temple) in the South and has dedicated her life to taking care of at-risk children. Both of these women have known the Lockes for years. Neither support Greg Locke in his actions. Of course the story they tell is not the story that has been put forth by Greg Locke.
On January 30, Pulpit and Pen published Greg Locke and a Great Disappointment, an article which included the testimony of (Global Vision Bible Church) member Arlene Greer. Arlene’s testimony, like the numerous others share with Pulpit & Pen anonymously, did not paint Locke in a pretty light. The next morning I received an email from Leonardo Blair, a reporter from the Christian Post. Blair had been working on a Locke article of his own and wanted to have a discussion with me. Blair and I conversed that morning as I commuted to work, comparing the information we’d received from sources. Blair informed that he had been in touch with Locke, who, had denied sending his wife away and coercing her into a divorce. On February 1st, Blair published his Locke piece; the headline read, “Pastor Greg Locke Admits his Wife Struggles with Mental Illness, Is Living in a Shelter.” The claim that Melissa Locke suffered from mental illness had not been unknown to me. However, given that Mrs. Locke was currently residing in a women’s shelter and had been in and out of the hospital since her arrival in Georgia, I did not deem it prudent to comment on Mrs. Locke’s mental health as a part of Pulpit & Pen‘s coverage of Greg Locke and Global Vision Bible Church. Locke revealed his wife’s alleged mental state to Leonardo Blair in an interview with The Christian Post:
She’s been in and out of mental health facilities but
that is not where she is right now. She is at a place that helps ladies
get on their feet again. The only reason why she is there is that the
lady who runs it is like her grandmother, and so she’s there. She’s only
there because of the comfort…It is a shelter there is no doubt. But
it’s not something like a homeless shelter. She’s with the lady who runs
the place.
Greg Locke alleged that his wife is mentally ill in an interview for all the world to see. From my perspective, a defensive Greg Locke, seeking to justify being a pastor going through a divorce, threw his wife under the bus. In keeping with what I’ve been hearing out of Mt. Juliet, Greg Locke’s primary concern seems to be Greg Locke. It’s also worth noting that the pastor who originally shared Melissa’s whereabouts with me commented on her mental fragility. Greg’s comment to the Christian Post makes it sound as if Melissa is staying in the home of the shelter director, her close friend. This has not been the case according to our source; Melissa is in such a touchy state that she must reside in the shelter. Who could blame her? She is away from her husband, her children, and her home. Melissa Locke, mentally ill or not deserves our prayers and sympathy.
Whether they be real or metaphorical, buses have not been kind to Melissa Locke lately.
If Melissa Locke is mentally ill, does it make sense to blame her? If Melissa Locke, in the throes of mental illness misled her caretakers about her filing for divorce then Greg Locke is telling the truth and the truth is that Greg Locke agreed to an “irreconcilable differences” divorce from his ill wife and let her flee the state and should not therefore be a pastor. If Greg Locke forced the divorce then he should not therefore be a pastor. Yet he remains in the pulpit.
Much has been said about the alleged romantic connections between Greg Locke and Tai McGee, his church secretary. More could be said. Pictures speak more than words, however. The video below was provided by a source in Mt. Juliet. According to the source, it was taken at Mt. Juliet High School on Friday, January 5th by a relative of Tai’s. The video clearly shows Locke and his female church employee attending a basketball game together. Viewers can draw their own conclusions about the propriety of a married pastor (despite his claims to the contrary, Locke’s divorce is not final) attending a basketball game with a woman in this manner.
Global Vision Bible Church (GVBC) does not appear to have meaningful membership or eldership. A source from inside GVBC shared the following with me:
The elders were picked by Locke, 3 quit over the course
of about 3 years mostly because of bad communication and lack of
interest…The other 2 left in November after Greg announced his
divorce. (The elders) would meet on Wednesday night after church but
many times (they) would go months without meeting at all. (They) could
say a lot in our meetings but Jarrod and Greg made all the
decisions, (the elders) had very little say. The church was given to
Greg, it’s Greg’s church and there has never been any deacons or budget
committee. No overseers or accountability. The biggest problem was a
lack of COMMUNICATION which lead to most of (the elders) stepping down
or just giving up on being an elder. People want the TRUTH AND PROOF to
come out and for Greg to humble himself so the forgiveness can begin.
People like Greg, he’s done a lot of good for people in the church but
like any man has fallen.
Greg Locke seems to rule without accountability at GVBC. Many have expressed misgivings about the way Greg and his Executive Pastor Jarrod Almond spend the church’s money, especially Almond’s recent purchase of a Nissan Maxima and a Nissan Quest with church money. There is nothing illegal about this action.
If Greg Locke has legal authority over GVBC, at it appears he does, he can mangage the church as he sees fit. No one should hold their breath waiting for him to fire the church’s embattled pastor.
Would you fire yourself from your job, one that comes with a company car, and a tax-free home rental allowance?
Paul, in his first epistle to Timothy, prescribed that one who fills the office of pastor must “manage his own household well,” asking the rhetorical question, “if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?” (1 Timothy 3). Greg Locke is going through a divorce. Locke admitted to the Christian Post just yesterday that he is “flat broke in every way imaginable.” Preliminary inquiries by the Pulpit & Pen indicate that he has a bankruptcy in his past (court documents have not been obtained). Some of his children have been residing with his mother for the past couple of months. His estranged wife is in a women’s shelter. Does the evidence of his life in any way indicate that he has managed his household well?
Today, I spoke with close Locke family friend Jimmy Hayden. He’s like a father to Melissa Locke. Locke’s children call Hayden “pawpaw.” Hayden, aged 80, has often taken on the loving responsibility of looking after Melissa Locke while Greg is out of town. According to Hayden, Locke, who frequently travels on the preaching circuit, has often gone on the road and left Melissa Locke at home alone with their children, little money, and no transportation. He’s witnessed Melissa struggle to obtain groceries in Greg’s absence. He’s also witnessed Melissa be a supportive pastor’s wife, never speaking ill of her husband, a man, according to Hayden, who could barely be bothered to take out the garbage. Haden wants the world to know that “Melissa Locke is one of the finest people he’s ever met” in his entire life and that he dearly loves her. He also wants to warn people to stay away from Global Vision Bible Church. After attending the church for years, almost from its start, Jimmy wants no part of GVBC and its pastor.
Jimmy Hayden would have walked through fire for his pastor in times past. Now, like so many other disaffected friends, he has lost trust in the man and has chosen to warn others about him.
Greg Locke isn’t the first pastor to have marital troubles. Greg Locke isn’t the first pastor to borrow sermon material from another preacher. If he’s dating his secretary, he’s not the first pastor to do that either. He’s not even the first man to basically found his own church and set himself up as a “pastor” with no accountability. So why does he matter? He has over one million followers on his Facebook page. He is marketing himself as a “bold” and “outspoken” Christian. He’s the face of Christianity for many in this nation. Before the story of his troubles broke, CNN was planning to feature his church in a national story. Just last week, Locke released a viral video which garnered him local new coverage. A pastor who is a media darling should first look after his darling wife.
Greg Locke is, in my theological opinion, utterly unqualified for the pastorate. His sermons should have no influence on his national following and he doesn’t need to be the face of the American Christian to a lost and dying world. He is, in the opinion of one New York reporter, a “wise guy.” People, like Jimmy Hayden and the other disaffected members of GVBC are hurting. They need a pastor, not Greg Locke. In my mind there isn’t much difference between Greg Locke and a entrepreneur who open up BBQ restaurant, except for the latter doesn’t purport to be in the care of souls and live off of their donations.
Imagine that you are a pastor and you are concerned that your wife is mentally ill. Do you:
- A. Step back from vocational ministry, the speaking circuit, and internet video fame in order to take care of your wife and family.
- Sign divorce papers, put your wife on a bus to Georgia, take your kids to your mom’s house, and take your secretary to a ballgame.
Greg Locke chose B.
What will you choose if such a choice ever comes your way? Without the grace of God, you will fare no better than choice B. There is forgiveness for Greg Locke. God can restore his marriage. God can forgive Greg Locke.
God can forgive you, too.
Greg Locke has made a lot of enemies with his politically charged internet preaching. I fear that they are taking joy in his failure. Locke may be hurting, his family is hurting, his friends are hurting, his church is hurting. Why take joy in that?
Without Jesus, you are hurting. Repent or you will likewise perish. There is forgiveness for sinners in Jesus Christ. I hope everyone reading this finds it.
I hope all the GVBC members and Locke supporters reading this find a new church and find a new spokesperson. May they look first to the Bible.
*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
**The preceding story is the product of interviews with and submissions from numerous sources local to Middle Tennessee. The truth of the reporting here is dependent on the accuracy of the information reported by those sources. Pulpit & Pen is confident in the accuracy of the information provided. Anyone with first-hand information about Pastor Greg Locke, his actions toward Global Vision Church and or his wife, is encouraged to contact Pulpit & Pen attalkback@pulpitandpen.org. A special thanks goes out to Arlene Greer and all the witnesses who continue to put aside fear and come forward.
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The same half-baked busybodies gossiping hate-mongers, and the mindless cronies who follow them rather that God that are attacking him have made threats against myself for refusing to bar Pastor Greg Locke from our service that I’d initially booked him for way back in the fall of last year. While the list of things that I’ve done in my ministry has been sizable & unnoticed by some. I find myself getting caught in the crossfire of these sanctimonious jerks, internet trolls, and weak minded people who follow them and their #fakenews (I’m referring to internet dribble).
Locked Out: A Former Global Vision Church Member Speaks Out About Greg Locke
SEE ALSO:
Breaking: Greg Locke Under Investigation by Tennessee Department of Children’s Services