Venue Church was once one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation, with a membership of over 1,500 across four services and two locations.
Then, in late 2021, pastor and senior leader, Tavner Smith, was caught cheating on his wife with his worship leader/personal assistant, resulting in a mass exodus of staff and congregants.
With the church hemorrhaging money, having no cash reserves, and defaulting on its rent for months, it declared bankruptcy in 2022, forcing it to shut down and cease to exist.
Smith divorced his wife (with whom he has three kids) and married his mistress (who also divorced her husband) this past spring. According to the Chattanooga Press, he told them his marriage occurred “with the full support of our board and our pastors and counselors and families.”
Smith began a new church, called Hope House Church, out of his home in 2024. The church, which started with 17 die-hard members, has since grown to more than 300 people.
Tavner revealed earlier this year that they purchased a 33,000 sq. ft. building to become the home of their new church, and then, two weeks ago, announced they were hosting a 24-hour telethon in order to raise $60,000 to fund renovations and build-out costs sufficient to get them moved in.
Notably, in 2025 when the church was seeking out more space, Smith launched a giving campaign called ‘Million Dollar Miracle’ that was hardly the miracle, raising $156,518, or about 15% of the goal.
His 24-hour telethon likewise fell short of his goal, raising $17,800.
A former employee at Venue Church recently shared her experiences during this time, writing:
