Bradenton Church Welcomes TN Pastor Banned From Twitter For False COVID-19 Claims

BRADENTON, FL — A controversial Tennessee pastor banned from Twitter for spreading false information about COVID-19 has been invited to visit a Bradenton church Friday night.

Greg Locke, the lead pastor of Global Vision Bible Church in Mount Juliet, will speak at 7 p.m. at Bayshore Community Church, 6502 14th St. W.

Locke has been a vocal opponent of COVID-19 protocols and declared that his church is mask-free, according to the Tennessean. Locke has held in-person services throughout the pandemic, despite warnings from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.

The right-wing pastor is also a prominent figure in conservative circles, hosting GOP leaders and figures, and serving on an advisory committee for Evangelicals for Trump.

On the Facebook event page for his appearance Friday, Bayshore Community Church said, “He is known for his bold and unapologetic stand on both the Bible and politics."

In a Sept. 14 Instagram video about his Twitter ban, Locke said the social media platform told him he was “a danger.”

He said he’s been temporarily suspended multiple times since he started using the site in 2009. He also claimed to be the first pastor banned by Twitter and that he’s filed a lawsuit against the company.

“Guess who’s still on Twitter: the Taliban, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “Are you awake yet sheep? Wake up. Use your brain. Use your bible. Get a backbone. They just permanently banned me.”

Calling Twitter “censorship Nazis,” he added, “We’re over the target dropping bombs: gospel bombs, political bombs, biblical bombs. They don’t like what we’re saying.”