Mosaic Church which doubles as Club Fathom in Chattanooga.
Mosaic Church pastor Tim Reid speaks about shootings that occurred Christmas morning outside of the Mosaic Church.The city took steps Wednesday to shut down a downtown church and its youth events after at least nine people were wounded in a Christmas Eve shooting.
Chattanooga attorneys filed paperwork in Hamilton County Circuit Court seeking an injunction to padlock the Mosaic Arts Venue at 412 Market St. The building is home to the Mosaic church and Club Fathom, an urban youth outreach program. The filing states that the establishment is a public nuisance and lists a series of shootings and assaults at the location since 2006.
The complaint says the venue has a history of “quarreling, drunkenness, fighting and other breaches of peace.” The city is trying to stop a New Year’s Eve party set for Saturday.
‘”The deadline is we’re trying to avoid problems this weekend,” said Chattanooga Police Chief Bobby Dodd. “We would hope they would comply just with the order from the judge, but if not and if need be, if we have to go padlock it, we will.”
Circuit Court Judge Jeff Hollingsworth has set a hearing at 9 a.m. Friday. The order states that the Rev. Tim Reid, pastor of Mosaic church and head of Fathom Inc., and property owner Beverly B. Henry should appear in court and show why the establishment should remain open.