Cameron McWhirter

He sent one of his supporters to go study at college.

He sent himself to Oxford to study.

All this was very disconcerting to people who had been longtime members.

They felt they were being pushed out and there were questions that weren't being answered.

They started to have arguments over the finances and the financing of the church, and they eventually made the painful decision to leave.

In the deed, he includes a provision that says this building is in perpetuity for the Central Church of Christ forever.

as long as there's church services.

And if there aren't, then the property reverts back to the family.

Amy Grant and her family get sued by the church saying that that provision in the deed is inapplicable here.

And that starts basically a years-long legal war.

Courts don't like to get involved in this.

It's the First Amendment.

It's the freedom of religion.

Do whatever you want.

You know, you run your place.

How do you want to run it?

But there are instances, and they're increasingly popping up, where people are seeing these assets coming in and using them in ways that divert from the original intent or the intent of the religions.

Steeplejacking is like carjacking.

A group or an individual comes along, usually a younger person to the elderly congregation, expresses interest in joining the church, and the next thing you know, they're in charge.

We are in a situation in America where churches are in decline, many of them.