Pastor Tavner Smith, right, raises his arm in worship during a pre-launch service at The Venue Church.
Jennifer Shockley looks at Emeri Smith’s Bible activity sheet at The Venue Church. Emeri, 3, is Pastor Tavner Smith’s daughter.Tavner Smith says Chattanooga may be the most-churched city in the country, but he’s still planting a new congregation right here.
The city is a transportation hub, he says, but he believes God has called him to help make it a spiritual hub as well.
In an era where statistics say the number of Americans who do not identify with any religion is growing rapidly, Smith is one of at least three people who are starting churches in the Scenic City this summer.
One-fifth of the United States population and one-third of adults under 30 are unaffiliated religiously, according to Pew Research Center. Indeed, in the last five years, the number of unaffiliateds has grown from 15 percent to just under 20 percent of all adults.
However, three local pastors – Smith, lead pastor for The Venue Church, Daniel Hicks, lead pastor of Scenic City Church, and James Reynolds, pastor of Highland Park Community Baptist Church – are undaunted.