A 35-year-old Knoxville man appeared in court Friday morning after investigators say he posted online threats warning that an entire church congregation was “about to meet God,” prompting the targeted church to cancel scheduled events and scramble to add security. Phillip LaRue now faces a felony charge of threatening to commit an act of mass violence at a church, according to court records.
The church sits on Hill Road in Knoxville, according to WVLT News, which obtained the warrant detailing the allegations against LaRue. Per the warrant, LaRue made a social media post and several comments about the church, including a statement that “the entire church is about to meet God, this time it's going to be a lesson.” The warrant also indicates LaRue referred to taking arms against those he perceives as doing injustice, and made other social media posts referring to firearms.
The specific congregation at the center of the case is Salem Baptist Church at 8201 Hill Road in the Halls Crossroads area of North Knox County, a fixture of the community for decades. The church was led for 34 years by Reverend John W. Holland, who retired in 2002 and died in October 2024, according to Knox TN Today, underscoring the multi-generational ties the congregation holds in the area.
Church Canceled Events, Added Security After Threat
Per the warrant, the church canceled events scheduled for September 2 and made other plans for a higher security setting in response to the alleged threats. The report does not specify what additional security measures were put in place beyond that description.
Tennessee code requires that anyone, including law enforcement, who learns of a mass violence threat must immediately notify both local police and the targeted facility, according to Justia Law. That same statutory framework defines mass violence as conduct a reasonable person would conclude could lead to death or serious bodily injury to multiple people, a standard that shapes how prosecutors build these cases.
Felony Charge Carries Steep Penalties Under State Law
Recklessly or knowingly threatening an act of mass violence against a place of worship is classified as a felony under Title 39 of the Tennessee Code, according to Davis & Hoss, PC, reflecting lawmakers' effort to specifically protect churches and schools from this kind of conduct. Tennessee judges also have discretion to order a pretrial mental health evaluation for defendants charged with threatening mass violence before deciding on bail, per the same Justia Law summary of the statute.
LaRue is scheduled for a bond hearing Tuesday morning, which will determine whether he faces continued detention or release conditions ahead of trial. In Knox County General Sessions Court, felony defendants typically go through an initial court appearance followed by a formal bond hearing within days, a timeline described by the Knoxville News Sentinel as one meant to balance community safety with a defendant's pretrial rights. It remains unclear whether the judge will order the mental health evaluation Tennessee law allows in cases like this.
Faith Communities Lean Into Security Planning
The case lands amid a broader regional push for church safety preparedness. Security groups in East Tennessee held “Active Threat Awareness for Churches” training seminars in Knoxville in July, according to Protect His House, aimed at helping regional faith leaders and ministry volunteers prepare for crisis scenarios.
Federal guidance has also shaped how houses of worship respond to threats without shutting their doors to the public. As Hoodline previously reported, the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency promotes a “Power of Hello” framework encouraging layered observation teams and greeter vigilance, and the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program can provide up to $200,000 per facility for physical security upgrades and active-shooter training. It remains an open question whether Salem Baptist Church will pursue that kind of funding or station additional security personnel permanently going forward.
