One Tennessee megachurch pastor was found naked by shocked worshippers with a married partner.
Last November, volunteers at the Venue Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, paid a surprise visit to Pastor Tavner Smith at his house – but discovered the pastor wearing only his boxers, with a married church employee in a towel.
Unnamed female was married to another Venue Church worker. According to online video, the blonde woman is seen from her rear looking at Smith. Smith divorced last year.
An unnamed worshipper said to the Daily Beast that the incident with chili was not a dumb one. Why are you wearing your boxers if she dropped chili on your clothes? Did you all throw chili at one another?
For months, rumors of an affair between the pastor and his wife have been circulating. According to a former member of church, Smith had been given the benefit-of-the doubt by her for quite some time.
Pastor TavnerSmith, shown here, was reportedly caught naked with his married coworker. Another video shows him getting intimate in a restaurant setting with an unknown female.
Smith was captured leaning into the camera for a kiss. His wife Danielle Lancia divorced him in 2021
He was well-respected, made a name for his family, and started Venue Church in an old Sam’s Club warehouse. The church was credited with changing the lives of many people, according to multiple sources.
However, he was said to be spending more time with his coworker by 2020. He also surprised worshippers when he got a tattoo and had a piercing.
Some church members started asking questions as rumors spread. A church member claimed she talked to both the pastor and the employee of the church that was suspected of having an affair. Both denied it.
She said that something was still off. Another church member sent her a video. The video showed Smith and the female worker sitting together for some time before they appear to get in for a kiss.
According to the Daily Beast, the ex-attendee stated that at that point, they were “just kind of like,” “OK that’s all the physical evidence.” “This was the moment when we felt like we had everything we needed.
Locals claim Smith was preaching to couples around the time that his own marriage fell apart.
The church he founded is described as being so religious that locals were repeatedly urged to get involved. People who tried to avoid it joked about the colour of the logo, referring to its orange Kool-Aid.
Smith and Danielle are pictured together. No reason for their split was given – but worshippers have long suspected an affair with a female co-worker, who is married to yet another worker at Smith’s Venue Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Smith preaches the ‘prosperity gospel’, where people are encouraged to give a portion of their income to church in order to bring them closer to God.
Smith established the venue church in an old Sam’s Club warehouse. The worship group is now worth many millions of dollars.
Smith called for a meeting to deal with the online video. He declined to answer direct questions, and also denied having an affair.
Outreach Magazine listed this church among the top-growing churches. It had two campuses and was able to draw in almost 2,000 people every Sunday by 2020.
“Everyone used say Venue is a religion, and Venue is a church,” but I said, “No it is not.” The Daily Beast was told by a volunteer who witnessed the Chili incident. “Now, when I think back, I feel like I didn’t really find myself in a Godly location.”
Rumors began circulating about an alleged affair and in 2021 Smith and his wife filed for divorce. Dec. 22 was the day that the Chattanooga Free Press announced that eight Venue workers had left.
Pastor Mark announced via Instagram that he was taking a “sabbatical” to fill up and spend more time with God.