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Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, and later the Southwest Territory, before its admission to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. It earned the nickname "The Volunteer State" due to a strong tradition of military service. A slave state until the American Civil War, Tennessee was politically divided, with most of its western and middle parts supporting the Confederacy, and most of the eastern region harboring pro-Union sentiment. As a result, Tennessee was the last state to officially secede from the Union and join the Confederacy, and the first former Confederate state readmitted to the Union after the war had ended during the Reconstruction era. During the 20th century, Tennessee transitioned from a predominantly agrarian society to a more diversified economy. This was aided in part by massive federal investment in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the city of Oak Ridge, which was established during World War II to house the Manhattan Project's uranium enrichment facilities for the construction of the world's first atomic bombs. After the war, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory became a key center of scientific research. The state's economy is dominated by the health care, music, finance, automotive, chemical, electronics, and tourism sectors, and cattle, soybeans, poultry, corn, and cotton are its primary agricultural products. Tennessee has played a major role in the development of many forms of popular music, including country, blues, rock and roll, soul, and gospel.
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Lee's recruiting trip to Asia pursued a fast-moving big prize Gov. Bill Lee and Deputy Gov. Stuart McWhorter spent almost two weeks in Asia on an economic development trip last fall, visiting with almost 20 businesses across three countries. State travel records obtained by the Business Journal show that one breakfast meeting proved to be a key landmark in a fast-moving, record-setting, $6.6 billion project in Clarksville. (BizJournals 4/11/26) READ MORE>>>>> More Protestant churches closing than opening in America as older congregations struggle: study More Protestant churches are being closed in America than are being planted, and older congregations appear to be bearing the brunt of the contraction, according to data from a new Lifeway Research study. The study published Tuesday used data collected from 35 denominational groups that represent 58% of U.S. Protestant churches. The Tennessee-based research arm of Lifeway Christian Resources also cited information from the Annual Church Profile for 2023 and 2024 of the Southern Baptist Convention — America’s largest Protestant denomination. While 4,000 Protestant churches were closed in 2024, Lifeway Research estimates that only 3,800 were started in that year. The estimated 4,000 churches shuttered in 2024 represent nearly 1.4% of the 293,000 Protestant churches highlighted in the U.S. Religion Census 2020. (Christian Post; 1.18.26) READMORE>>>>> The fight over Christian nationalism in a small Tennessee town As Josh Abbotoy gazes out at lush green woods and pastureland nestled among Tennessee's Appalachian hills, he describes what he intends to build here: a neighbourhood with dozens of residential lots, centred around a working farm and, crucially, a church. "A customer might very well buy and build roughly where we're standing right now," he says as we hike up to the top of a ridge. Mr Abbotoy is founder of the real estate company Ridgerunner, which has bought land here and in neighbouring Kentucky. But his is no garden-variety housing development. Mr Abbotoy is prominent in US conservative circles and describes his development as an "affinity-based community" - marketed to people not only interested in the peace and quiet of rural life, but in a constellation of right-wing ideals. (BBC 12.29.25) READMORE>>>>> |
residents- Greg Locke -
March 3, 2025: Axios Nashville reported: Fewer Tennesseans identify as Christian, according to a new Pew study, and the number of people who don't identify with any religion is growing. Why it matters: The trend in Tennessee is in line with a nationwide shift. What they're saying: "This is a broad-based social change," says Alan Cooperman, the director of religion research at the Pew Research Center. "We've had rising shares of people who don't identify with any religion — so-called 'nones' — and declining shares who identify as Christian, in all parts of the country, in all parts of the population, by ethnicity and race, among both men and women, and among people at all levels of the educational spectrum." |
Lawsuit for Facebook post arrest tests free speech after Charlie Kirk’s assassination“
In America, we do not jail people for political speech.” That’s the first line of a lawsuit filed Wednesday against Tennessee law enforcement officials who arrested a man for a social media post following Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September. Larry Bushart’s 37 days behind bars before his baseless charge was dropped, however, show that we do, in fact, do this in America. But his civil action raises the question of what consequences, if any, there will be for that violation of American laws and values, which are being tested after the popular conservative commentator’s death with reprisals against people for speaking about the tragedy in ways that some powerful people don’t like. (MS Now; 12.17.25)READMORE>>>>>
In America, we do not jail people for political speech.” That’s the first line of a lawsuit filed Wednesday against Tennessee law enforcement officials who arrested a man for a social media post following Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September. Larry Bushart’s 37 days behind bars before his baseless charge was dropped, however, show that we do, in fact, do this in America. But his civil action raises the question of what consequences, if any, there will be for that violation of American laws and values, which are being tested after the popular conservative commentator’s death with reprisals against people for speaking about the tragedy in ways that some powerful people don’t like. (MS Now; 12.17.25)READMORE>>>>>
A Company Is Building Communities for Right-Wing Christians. Some Neighbors Aren’t Happy
Driving north on state Route 56 as you enter Jackson County, Tennessee, the road winds through lush, green hills, past a few homes, an abandoned auto shop, and the Country Cabin Quik Market before reaching a large billboard. Pull forward into the parking lot of Fatboy’s Barbie-Q, where sweet, vinegary clouds puff from a large smoker, and you can read one side of the sign: “God bless Jackson County! We’re proud to call it home!” mThe words “land,” “liberty,” and “legacy” frame a deer-head logo above a company name: RidgeRunner.
On the other side, there’s a different message: “Small town — big heart. Here, nasty notions play no part. Bide a spell in Gainesboro. Where all are welcome!” (Rolling Stone 10/23/25) READMORE>>>>
Driving north on state Route 56 as you enter Jackson County, Tennessee, the road winds through lush, green hills, past a few homes, an abandoned auto shop, and the Country Cabin Quik Market before reaching a large billboard. Pull forward into the parking lot of Fatboy’s Barbie-Q, where sweet, vinegary clouds puff from a large smoker, and you can read one side of the sign: “God bless Jackson County! We’re proud to call it home!” mThe words “land,” “liberty,” and “legacy” frame a deer-head logo above a company name: RidgeRunner.
On the other side, there’s a different message: “Small town — big heart. Here, nasty notions play no part. Bide a spell in Gainesboro. Where all are welcome!” (Rolling Stone 10/23/25) READMORE>>>>
Christian Nationalist Commentator Joshua Haymes Says 'Slavery Is Not Inherently Evil'
Far-right commentator Joshua Haymes recently posted a video in which he beseeched his fellow Christian nationalists to learn to defend the institution of slavery because the Bible makes it clear that "it is not inherently evil to own another human being." Haymes—who hosts a podcast with pastor Brooks Potteiger of Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship, a far-right church located outside of Nashville, TN, that is aligned with Christian nationalist pastor Douglas Wilson and counts Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as a member—was reacting to a recent Jubilee video in which conservative Christian commentator Allie Beth Stuckey debated 20 liberals. Haymes was unimpressed with Stuckey's response when challenged about the Bible's sanction of the practice of slavery, warning that offering up anything short of a vigorous defense of slavery opens the door to challenging the authority of the Bible on all sorts of issues. "The institution of slavery is not inherently evil," Haymes insisted. "It is not inherently evil to own
(Right Wing Watch 10/18/25) READMORE>>>>
Far-right commentator Joshua Haymes recently posted a video in which he beseeched his fellow Christian nationalists to learn to defend the institution of slavery because the Bible makes it clear that "it is not inherently evil to own another human being." Haymes—who hosts a podcast with pastor Brooks Potteiger of Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship, a far-right church located outside of Nashville, TN, that is aligned with Christian nationalist pastor Douglas Wilson and counts Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as a member—was reacting to a recent Jubilee video in which conservative Christian commentator Allie Beth Stuckey debated 20 liberals. Haymes was unimpressed with Stuckey's response when challenged about the Bible's sanction of the practice of slavery, warning that offering up anything short of a vigorous defense of slavery opens the door to challenging the authority of the Bible on all sorts of issues. "The institution of slavery is not inherently evil," Haymes insisted. "It is not inherently evil to own
(Right Wing Watch 10/18/25) READMORE>>>>
Hegseth’s Christian nationalist denomination has Chattanooga branch
A Chattanooga church is pleased that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a fellow member of the conservative evangelical denomination that holds views considered fringe by many other Christian denominations, was placed in a position of influence in Washington. (Chattanooga Times Press 8/23/25) READMORE>>>>>
A Chattanooga church is pleased that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a fellow member of the conservative evangelical denomination that holds views considered fringe by many other Christian denominations, was placed in a position of influence in Washington. (Chattanooga Times Press 8/23/25) READMORE>>>>>
Local United Methodists vote to oppose Christian nationalism
The annual gathering of the Holston Conference, the region of the United Methodist Church covering East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and the northwest corner of Georgia, brought passage of a resolution to oppose Christian nationalism and a commitment by the denomination to educate itself on the "societal and spiritual dangers" of the ideology. The conference also moved forward with district realignment and announced clergy appointment changes. "There has been growing concern among both leaders and members, across the United States, about cultural narratives that blur the lines between national identity and Christian faith," the Rev. Tim Jones, director of communications for the conference, said in an email. "While these conversations had been occurring informally for some time, the resolution provided an opportunity for the Holston Conference to name those concerns clearly and to reaffirm the inclusive and global nature of the Gospel." (Chattanooga Times Free Press 7/26/25) READMORE>>>>>
The annual gathering of the Holston Conference, the region of the United Methodist Church covering East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and the northwest corner of Georgia, brought passage of a resolution to oppose Christian nationalism and a commitment by the denomination to educate itself on the "societal and spiritual dangers" of the ideology. The conference also moved forward with district realignment and announced clergy appointment changes. "There has been growing concern among both leaders and members, across the United States, about cultural narratives that blur the lines between national identity and Christian faith," the Rev. Tim Jones, director of communications for the conference, said in an email. "While these conversations had been occurring informally for some time, the resolution provided an opportunity for the Holston Conference to name those concerns clearly and to reaffirm the inclusive and global nature of the Gospel." (Chattanooga Times Free Press 7/26/25) READMORE>>>>>
Remembering Scopes: How 100-year-old ‘Monkey Trial’ helped shape evangelical Christianity
Nearly overnight, the State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes – dubbed the “Monkey Trial” by journalist H.L. Mencken – laid claim to being America’s first “trial of the century.” The criminal trial lasted less than a week in a hot Dayton, Tennessee, courtroom in July 1925. One hundred years later, it still reverberates as the opening salvo of a wider cultural conflict that continues to impact, if not define, the relationship between religion and politics in the United States.In March of that year, the state of Tennessee passed a bill banning the teaching of evolution in any public school or university. Conservative Protestants, who’d recently adopted the label “fundamentalists,” had the political clout to make the issue a priority. Charles Darwin’s theory, most believed, was both a contradiction of the literal account of creation laid out in the book of Genesis and a threat to faith and morality. (Christian Science Monitor 7/6/25) READ MORE>>>>
Nearly overnight, the State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes – dubbed the “Monkey Trial” by journalist H.L. Mencken – laid claim to being America’s first “trial of the century.” The criminal trial lasted less than a week in a hot Dayton, Tennessee, courtroom in July 1925. One hundred years later, it still reverberates as the opening salvo of a wider cultural conflict that continues to impact, if not define, the relationship between religion and politics in the United States.In March of that year, the state of Tennessee passed a bill banning the teaching of evolution in any public school or university. Conservative Protestants, who’d recently adopted the label “fundamentalists,” had the political clout to make the issue a priority. Charles Darwin’s theory, most believed, was both a contradiction of the literal account of creation laid out in the book of Genesis and a threat to faith and morality. (Christian Science Monitor 7/6/25) READ MORE>>>>
September 12, 2024: Christian Post reported: Controversial Tennessee Pastor Greg Locke says he and his family will not be returning to their home following a "surreal" drive-by shooting in which gunmen riddled his house and truck with 60 bullets in less than three seconds just over a week ago. "We have not been allowed to be back at our house since then, and other than packing stuff up, we're not going back anyhow," Locke told his congregation Sunday. "They told us that they fear retaliation at this moment." Wilson County Sheriff's Office Capt. Scott Moore told The Tennessean that the shooting, which is being investigated, resulted in no injuries, and authorities haven't arrested anyone in connection with the incident yet.
March 27, 2023: Christianity Today wrote: Presbyterian School Mourns 6 Dead in Nashville Shooting. Parents were invited into the chapel at The Covenant School in Nashville on Monday morning, as they are every
school-day morning. They sang and prayed with the roughly 200 elementary students and 40 or 50 staff at the Presbyterian Church in America school and listened as pastor Matthew Sullivan “raises it to another level,” as one student put it, with his kid-friendly Bible lesson. A few hours later, though, parents crowded into the sanctuary of Woodmont Baptist Church, two miles down the road, waiting to hear the worst. In the interval, the private Christian school became the site of the 130th mass shooting of 2023, which left three children and three staff members dead.
school-day morning. They sang and prayed with the roughly 200 elementary students and 40 or 50 staff at the Presbyterian Church in America school and listened as pastor Matthew Sullivan “raises it to another level,” as one student put it, with his kid-friendly Bible lesson. A few hours later, though, parents crowded into the sanctuary of Woodmont Baptist Church, two miles down the road, waiting to hear the worst. In the interval, the private Christian school became the site of the 130th mass shooting of 2023, which left three children and three staff members dead.
November 2, 2023: Newsweek reported: Tennessee pastor Greg Locke, an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, urged his congregation to burn books and other items representing "witchcraft" during a Halloween night church service. Locke, who leads the Global Vision Bible Church in Mount Juliet, told followers on Tuesday that they were breaking "an agreement with witchcraft" by allowing the supposedly evil materials to go up in flames. The service also offered what it claimed was a "mass deliverance" for children, being presented as an alternative to the "demonic" practice of trick or treating on Halloween.
November 8, 2023: Religion News reported: Williamson County is Tennessee’s wealthiest community and has the best schools in the state, some of the biggest churches, a host of Christian nonprofits and a whole bunch of country music stars who call it home. It’s not the place you expect to find neo-Nazis and white supremacists. Yet there they were last month, showing up at a forum to back then-mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson, a local Realtor and alderman in Franklin, Tennessee, a bucolic suburb 20 miles south of Nashville best known for its Civil War-era mansions, historical downtown and annual Pumpkinfest and “Dickens of a Christmas” festivals.
November 11, 2023: EnergyPortal.eu reported: The state’s religious identity is deeply intertwined with its history and culture, often influencing its politics and community values. Tennessee’s Christian community is diverse, encompassing a wide range of denominations such as Southern Baptists, Methodists, and Church of Christ followers, among others. While Christianity reigns supreme in Tennessee, other faiths also contribute to the state’s spiritual tapestry. Minority religions, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, have established their presence, reflecting a broader trend of increasing religious diversity across the United States.
December 2, 2023: Kentucky Today reported: Members of one of the most well-known Southern Baptist churches are focusing their prayer efforts on their pastor this Sunday (Dec. 3). Bellevue Baptist will be lifting up Steve Gaines as he battles kidney cancer. Gaines made the church aware of his health need on Nov. 19. He told his church family he has “a great team of doctors in Memphis who are treating me.” He said he also plans consult with physicians at M.D. Anderson in Houston. Gaines, a former SBC president, has served as pastor of the Memphis-area church since 2005.
December 14, 2023: The Assemblies of God reported: Only 30 minutes before an EF-2 tornado struck Red River Assembly, there were still people departing from a memorial service held earlier that afternoon. When an EF-2 tornado ripped through Springfield, Tennessee, on Saturday afternoon, it peeled the roof off the Red River Assembly sanctuary, allowing the hard-driven rain to damage and/or destroy the sub-ceiling, instruments, sound equipment, computers, projectors, and anything else not water resistant. But pastor Buddy Hagerman and his wife, Tracy, are counting their blessings.