$1.4 Million Home Owned by Controversial Williamson County Ministry for Sale

By Holly Meyer
Tennessean
May 24, 2017

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2017/05/24/1-4-million-home-owned-controversial-williamson-county-ministry-sale/343886001/

A controversial Williamson County ministry scrutinized for being a cult is selling its 7,400-square-foot house and more than 5-acre lot for nearly $1.4 million.

The 5 bedroom home on Old Natchez Trace northwest of Franklin listed on the real estate service website Redfin is owned by Wayne Jolley Ministries, Inc., according to online Williamson County property records.

A Christianity Today report published in Dec. 2015 revealed serious concerns with how the late Wayne Jolley treated the members of The Gathering International, a small church group connected to his ministry.

More: Controversial Wayne Jolley Ministries appears to be moving from Williamson County to Dickson County

Former members told the magazine that Jolley's ministry took their money, ruined families and covered up accusations of physical and sexual abuse. The church group met at the property on the outskirts of Franklin, the report said.

The large white house with a bright red roof has four and a half bathrooms, an elevator, fire place, finished wood floors and a three-car garage, according to the listing that has been posted on Redfin for more than three months. The asking price was dropped from more than $1.6 million to $1.39 million in that time.

The real estate agent for the property is Russ Barger who works for the Brentwood-based firm Sisco & Farris. Russ Barger declined to answer The Tennessean's questions about the property and the ministry.

More: State fines Williamson County ministry $5K, revokes church status

"All that information is online and the rest of it's confidential," Barger said.

On Wednesday, Wayne Jolley Ministries and Linda Jolley, the wife of the late ministry leader who died last year, did not immediately return The Tennessean's request for comment. Linda Jolley is listed as the vice president of the ministry on a 2015 tax filing.

Laws govern the sale of property by nonprofits. A nonprofit has to get the approval of the state attorney general's office if it is selling property, said Attorney Robert M. Pautienus III, who specializes in nonprofit and church law and is a partner at the Brentwood-based Fidelis Law. The money from the sale must be used toward the ministry's mission or could be given to another 501c3, Pautienus said.

"Part of that process when you go through the attorney general's office, they ask you when you sell it, 'What are you doing with it?'" Pautienus said. "It's a fairly lengthy packet of information that you have to submit to them. I've had plenty times with other clients that I'm representing where they come back and ask for follow up information or follow up documents."

More: Controversial Williamson County pastor has died

The attorney general's office reviews transactions for compliance with the Nonprofit Act, and issues a "no action" letter if there does not appear to be any violations, said Harlow Sumerford, spokesman for the attorney general's office. He did not immediately have details on the sale of the Wayne Jolley Ministries' property, but said the attorney general's office can intervene later if anything comes up after the office's review.

Earlier this year, the ministry appeared to be moving to Dickson County. They bought land in the city of Burns in late 2016, and in March a sign on the property on Highway 96 said it was the "Future Home of: The Gathering International."

A controversial Williamson County ministry that has been scrutinized as a cult appears to be moving to Dickson County.A sign on a property in Burns, Tenn. reads "Future Home of: The Gathering International." Construction equipment is also on site. (Photo: Chris Gadd)

In early May 2016, the Secretary of State's Division of Charitable Solicitations, Fantasy Sports and Gaming fined the ministry $5,000 for "unfair, false, misleading or deceptive acts and practices affecting the conduct of solicitations for contributions." The state also stripped the ministry of its church status due to a tax issue.

The ministry disputed both matters and requested hearings. As of Wednesday afternoon, there are no new updates in the case, according to the Secretary of State's office.