Pathways Church

When to go

About

• James Bono★★★★★a month ago

  For nearly twenty year’s I have watched Pathways follow through on promises, commitments and truly make one feel like they are part of more than just a church, a community, a family brothers and sisters as children of God. Truly a church that due to medical reasons, I had to leave the area. I have not been able to find remotely close to this amazing house of the Lord. Strongly recommend catching a service if you are “church shopping”.

• Timothy Mahon★★★★★2 months ago

  The best church I have ever attended. Very friendly and open. Pastor Brent is amazing.

• Dee Patroff★★★★★11 months ago

  Love this church. Our cousins go here so when we come down we go with them. We watch on line from Illinois often too. Pastor is so down to earth and preaches from God's word .

• Bryant Long★★★★★7 months ago

  To say the pastor of this church literally changed my life in an hour is the truth. I wanted to marry my partner on a last minute surprise for a birthday trip. We didn't realize the courts don't do weddings anymore. They gave us a list and we picked Pathways. Michael Newsome didn't even hesitate to marry us, but did so graciously with our 7 month old and 4 year old running around outside. He gave a beautiful speech and prayed for us. It was very unconventional and last minute but his kindness and willingness to help made all the difference for my family.

• Gary★★★★★a year ago

  Absolutely love it here! Second I opened the doors, they were so welcoming and felt right at home. What amazing people and such a wonderful atmosphere! They genuinely are amazing people down here! Blessed to find this church.

• Erica Paustian★★★★★10 months ago

  My husband and I were celebrating our 10 year anniversary in Tennessee. This was the first vacation we have ever prayed on and asked God to give us the destination. It was important that we found a church to attend. Pathways Church was the only non-denominational church we found in the area that offered services on Saturday. Love how God works. It wasn’t an inconvenience that this was the church we attended. The reason I say this is our home church - Poplar Creek in New Berlin, WI. Just ended a series on one of a kind. The emphasize was finding our identity in Christ. I can tell you God has done amazing work in my life with my identity and knowing who I am in Christ. But the message “Make me a Mop”. Made me realize that know who I am in Christ but now I need to bring other people to Christ. If I’m not junk, neither is any human being on this earth. The world is broken but we as Christians have the opportunity to make an impact. And God has encouraged me to go and tell the world. Thank you so much for making a church miles away feel just like our home church. We pray blessings on your church and am eager to one day come back for another visit.

• Robert Kolpien★★★★★3 years ago

  Visited the church on a recent visit to Gatlinburg. The staff was very friendly and welcoming to newcomers. The message was Biblical and relevant and the worship was amazing. Great place to visit and get fed. Loved the series on Trek and will be following up to hear the rest of it.

• Chasity J★☆☆☆☆10 months ago

  My husband and I visited this church 2 weeks ago. I was excited to find out the series was about music. I figured they’d talk about the dangers of worldly music. Instead, the pastor had a cover band playing worldly music instead. The pastor then said he knows Pharisees will be upset about it. He also said we must make outsiders comfortable in church and meet them where they are essentially. However, people come to church to encounter Jesus not more of the world. We don’t need more worldly things in church to meet people where they are we need more Jesus. Worldy music isn’t going to change anyone. The congregation clapped and cheered as the band was done playing “don’t stop believing”. There was no question whether or not it was wrong. They all just went with it. It doesn’t make me a Pharisee for believing Godly music is all we need to listen to. If we love the world then we are not lovers of God. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬ ‭

• V. R.H.★☆☆☆☆8 months ago

  I started attending Pathways in September 2025 hoping to find a vibrant, welcoming church family. At first glance it looks impressive, huge crowds, big campus, lots of energy. I quickly discovered it’s all surface-level. My very first attempt to connect was their “Ladies Night” (only my second time ever stepping foot in the building). I had messaged several women through the church app who said they’d be there and would love to meet up. Not a single person replied once I arrived. I walked in alone, stood awkwardly for a while, and eventually sat by myself. A few long-time members sat next to me, chatted for maybe two minutes, then ignored me the rest of the night. I ended up eating with some other visitors who were also alone because no one from Pathways bothered to include us. Since then? Crickets. Zero follow-up. I’ve requested to join multiple small groups through the app, weeks ago, still sitting in “pending” with no response. I attend services regularly (midweek and weekend) and not one person has ever introduced themselves, asked my name, or even made eye contact for more than a second. When I try to start a conversation before or after service, people give polite but curt answers and quickly turn away. It’s the coldest “friendly” church I’ve ever experienced. The preaching is the biggest letdown. The senior pastor literally recycles the exact same sermon across every service, sometimes word-for-word for weeks. The content is shallow, feel-good fluff with almost no depth or challenge, just watered-down motivational talk. Then there’s the money issue, which truly shocked me. From the pulpit they bragged about spending over $17 million on land they’re doing nothing with, then turned around and asked the congregation to pledge another $35 million (yes, thirty-five million) for a new building that only adds about 150 seats. They’re planning to spend $520,000 on a one-acre parking lot while sitting on acres of unused land they already own. A couple of shuttle buses would solve the parking issue for a fraction of that cost, but apparently common sense isn’t spiritual enough. They later walked the building cost back to “only” $5 million for a community park “so Pathways has a presence,” but the guilt-laden giving talks continue. Calling it a “David and Goliath” moment while essentially strong-arming people to tithe plus give extravagant extra gifts feels manipulative and far from biblical stewardship. Oh, and they spent a fortune on a big Halloween candy giveaway pwhile people in Sevierville are hungry and homeless. That money could have fed hundreds of families, but optics apparently matter more than actual ministry. I wanted so badly to love this church. Instead I’ve felt lonely, ignored, and honestly a little ripped off watching my tithe dollars go toward empire-building instead of people. If you’re looking for genuine community, biblical depth, and responsible stewardship, keep looking. Pathways is big, flashy, and extremely cliquish. New people are clearly not a priority.

• Paul Hartley★★★★☆5 months ago

  Very friendly people. Large building. Very nice

Services and facilities

Events and programs

• Crossroads – July Summer Events

  Ongoing

  Ongoing summer events for community engagement

• 747 – New Student Orientation

  Monthly

  Orientation for new students

• Primetime (50+) – Bible Trivia & Hymns Dinner

  Monthly

  Bible trivia and hymns dinner for seniors

• RESOLVE – Men’s Breakfast

  Monthly

  Men’s breakfast event

• 747 – Lock-In

  Monthly

  Student lock-in event

• RESOLVE Men’s Fall Retreat

  Annual

  Fall retreat for men

• Recovery Trail Event – A Night of Hope, Healing & Community

  Monthly

  Event focused on recovery and community