Celebrity pastor’s South Carolina megachurch faces eviction, court filings show
A South Carolina megachurch led by celebrity pastor John Gray is facing eviction after another well-known preacher said Relentless Church wasn’t paying its bills, court filings show.
Gray, a protégé of televised preacher Joel Osteen, took over the space of Redemption Church in Greenville in 2018. He has been in a dispute with Redemption owner and pastor Ron Carpenter over the property for months, according to multiple reports.
The 30-day eviction notice was filed Jan. 2 in Greenville County, court records show.
Redemption told Gray and his congregation to be out of the building by the end of 2019, the Greenville News reported.
In a letter filed with the court, Relentless Church was to be gone by 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31.
During the New Year’s service, just after midnight, Gray told his congregation, “As a matter of fact, we’re not even supposed to be here right now,” the Greenville News reported.
In a statement responding to the eviction notice, a representative for the church disputed the claims that Relentless was not paying its bills, according to Fox Carolina.
“To the Relentless Church family please note, we have dealt honorably and have utilized every possible measure to resolve these differences to date,” the statement said. “We will continue to serve the Lord, reach the lost, and serve the community. This unfortunate issue will not hinder the vision, work, functionality, or heart of this church.”
According to the lawsuit, Gray first said he would rebrand Redemption Church under his own name, taking over the mortgage and the company founded by Carpenter in 1991.
Instead of taking over the church’s assets, Gray created a new company and offered to buy the properties from Carpenter, but that agreement fell apart, according to court filings.
The lawsuit accuses Gray and Relentless of not being able to keep up with the mortgage payments on the church properties, and says Carpenter had to step in to pay off the debt to avoid foreclosure.
Last month Gray said the church would move to a new property, WYFF reports, but he has not given any details.
Gray has attracted media attention since starting the megachurch and live broadcasts of his sermons from Greenville.
In December 2018, Gray bought his wife Aventer a $200,000 Lamborghini for their anniversary. He later said he bought her the pricey car after having an “emotional affair.”
He was criticized for praying with President Donald Trump in the White House in 2018. He was praised the same year for giving cash to members of his congregation in need.
