Ryan Knudson

In 2019, the Burton family hired a lawyer and prepared to fight for ownership of the building.

But before they made their move, the Nashville Church of Christ, under Mathis, sued Amy and the Burtons.

In a statement, Mathis' lawyer said that attempts to take control of the building and oust Mathis are motivated by the church's rising property value.

For seven years, the church was stuck in legal limbo.

There's actually a term for the kind of hostile takeover that Mathis has been accused of, steeplejacking.

Steeplejacking is happening all around the country, especially in the Midwest and South.

And because steeplejacking most often seems to happen to these independent churches, it's a problem that's hard to track.

After years of fighting, in October, the Burtons and the Nashville Church of Christ settled.

They agreed that the building would revert to the estate of A.M.

Burton, but the parking lots would stay in the hands of the Nashville Church of Christ and Sean Mathis.

The agreement also requires that the property be sold, with the Burton family receiving 80% of the proceeds and Mathis' group receiving 20%.

The church's attorney said his client, quote, made the strategic decision to settle the very narrow litigation related to certain deed restrictions.

The attorney also said the church looks forward to investing its portion of the building sale proceeds into its global mission efforts.

Have you thought about writing a song about what happened with the church?

Amy has an idea for how she wants it to end, though.

She says she's spoken with groups and philanthropists about turning the building into a center to help the homeless.

Several groups have already made offers to buy the building and turn it into a base for one or multiple non-profits, according to Burton family court filings.

Can you paint a picture for me for what you hope this church becomes?

This episode has been updated.

A previous version incorrectly stated the salary amounts Mathis and his father were paid.