Controversial pastor Greg Locke has vowed to fight against a Tennessee county that sued him over alleged zoning violations.
The Director of Wilson County Development Services brought a lawsuit against Global Vision Church and its pastor, Locke, that also alleges excessive noise as well as building without a proper permit.
According to ABC9, a stop work order was issued to the church in Mt. Juliet, in western Wilson County, in July 2019 while an addition to the building was under construction.
In particular, the lawsuit stated a larger tent was erected on the property and that a "more permanent structure" being built around it was in violation of the stop work orders, the network reported.
But Locke denies the allegations made by the county and said he and the church have complied with the county and announced his intention to counter-sue.
Locke told Newsweek: "I absolutely refute them. We've done unbelievable amounts of work to minimize noise and be in full compliance since 2019.
"These ridiculous allegations will not stand. This is a bully tactic because of people's complaints.
"We will be counter suing and our Constitutional rights will not be trampled upon. We will fight. We will win.
He added: "But one thing needs to be abundantly clear: We will not stop having our worship services."
Numerous complaints have reportedly been made to Wilson County officials over excessive noise in the area.
A Change.org petition called on Wilson County as well as police in the area to "stop excessive amplified sound emanating in the west end of the county."
In particular, the petition mentions "excessive noise and music" during "all hours of the day and late into the night, despite our repeated complaints."
As of Sunday (March 26), the petition has attracted more than 1,920 signatures and has a goal of 2,500 signatures.
Locke is no stranger to controversy and has previously made headlines by calling coronavirus a "fake pandemic" as well as having burned books from the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises, which he claimed promoted witchcraft.
He was suspended from Twitter in September 2021 after he made several medically discredited claims about COVID-19 as well as having urged his congregation not to get vaccinated against the virus. His account was later reinstated following Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter.
Locke also branded Joe Biden a "fake President" and said that the Democrat was the "real virus in this country."
Newsweek has contacted Wilson County for comment via email.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Anders Anglesey is a U.S. News Reporter based in London, U.K., covering crime, politics, online extremism and trending stories. Anders ... Read more
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