A Tennessee pastor has taken what he's calling a "sabbatical" after some salacious video and rumors began going viral. Eight employees quit their jobs at Venue Church after they say the pastor was having an affair with a former church employee. News sources say Pastor Tavnor Smith has taken time off from his duties after these and other allegations have come out. He is now going through a divorce from his wife. They have 3 children.
One Facebook post allegedly shows him kissing a woman who is not his wife. See it here.
Pastor Tavnor's Venue Church in Chattanooga has been one the fastest growing megachurches. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported, "Sunday services included light shows and congregants would provide a standing ovation when he came on stage. Along with the campus security team, a special team of armed bodyguards would follow Smith around."
One member of his security detail told the Times Free Press. "Anyone that spoke bad about him or the church went onto this watch list with code names and explanations as to why they're not allowed".
One former employee of Paster Smith has aired his grievances on a public FB post, feeling ashamed for helping Smith build the megachurch. "In hind sight I taught the 'Iranians how to make nuclear weapons' I gave a man who had very very bad intentions the ability to make a mega church," Colt Chandler Helton wrote.