As Josh Abbotoy gazes out at lush green woods and pastureland nestled among Tennessee's Appalachian hills, he describes what he intends to build here: a neighborhood with dozens of residential lots, centered around a working farm and, crucially, a church.
A customer might very well buy and build roughly where we're standing right now, he says as we hike up to the top of a ridge.
Mr. Abbotoy is founder of the real estate company Ridgerunner, which has bought land here and in neighboring Kentucky. But his is no garden-variety housing development. Mr. Abbotoy is prominent in U.S. conservative circles and describes his development as an affinity-based community - marketed to people not only interested in the peace and quiet of rural life, but in a constellation of right-wing ideals.
Faith, family, and freedom, he says. Those are the values that we try to celebrate.
Initially he didn't attract much local attention after setting up shop in Jackson County. However, in late 2024, controversial statements made by two of Mr. Abbotoy's customers, self-described Christian nationalists Andrew Isker and C Jay Engel, sparked outrage. Their beliefs, which challenge modern values, raised concerns among local residents about the potential shift in community dynamics.
The reaction has led to a grassroots resistance among some Gainesboro residents, who express fear that the town may become a headquarters for extreme ideologies. As tensions heighten, the battle lines draw clearer, pitting conservative newcomers against long-standing community members who fear the implications for their small town's identity.
In this fight, not only local values are at stake but the broader narrative of political power and community governance in rural America, echoing amidst national discussions on Christian nationalism and its influence on local communities.
