YORK COUNTY, S.C. — MorningStar Fellowship Church and York County reached a settlement resolving a long-standing legal dispute over the controversial 21-story Heritage Tower, according to court documents obtained by WCNC Charlotte.
The empty tower sits on the grounds of what was once Heritage USA, a Christian theme park launched by televangelist Jim Bakker of PTL fame.
The agreement, which stemmed from lawsuits filed in South Carolina and federal courts, provides a clear roadmap for the project's future. MorningStar must submit a building permit application within 18 months, proving the structure can be completed under current building codes. If the church fails to secure a permit, it will be required to demolish the tower within nine months. Should MorningStar fail to comply with the demolition requirements, York County will demolish the building at the church's expense.
History of Heritage Tower
Heritage Tower was initially part of Heritage USA, a Christian theme park launched by Bakker and his wife, Tammy. At one point, the Fort Mill theme park billed itself as the country’s third-largest theme park during its run from 1978 through 1989 according to the Washington Post. The park itself eventually closed as Bakker faced a sexual misconduct scandal and the park faced Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the late 1980s. Bakker resigned from PTL and was later convicted on federal fraud charges.
While Bakker only publicly confessed to having an affair with a woman -- claims brought forward by former church secretary Jessica Hahn -- he was found guilty on two dozen federal fraud counts and faced a federal prison sentence. He was originally sentenced to a 45-year prison term but saw his sentence reduced to eight years in 1992. He was released on parole in 1993. While he was still in prison, his first wife Tammy Faye Messner divorced him.
The tower, which was under construction at the time, was never completed and has never been lived in. By 1990, the Bakker's empire had crumbled, and the tower has been crumbling for the last three decades, too.
MorningStar, which is helmed by Rick and Julie Joyner, bought part of the Heritage USA site in 2004. The site was then made into MorningStar's ministry headquarters, renamed Heritage International Ministries Conference Center.
In 2009, Rick Joyner discussed plans for the tower with WCNC Charlotte, which included the possibility for it to become a retirement home, complete with in-house services and amenities like dental care, a pool, and a health club.
Joyner told us at the time it would be aimed at seniors seeking to further their own faith-based missions later in life.
But the tower, already crumbling and in poor condition, had already dodged a date with the wrecking ball. In 2012, WCNC Charlotte reported MorningStar planned to file a lawsuit against York County if repair plans weren't accepted. The county claimed MorningStar violated a 5-year-old development agreement requiring MorningStar to fix the tower or use their own money to tear it down.
In 2018, the fate of the tower moved to federal court. In their lawsuit, MorningStar Ministries said religious discrimination from York County was part of the issues they faced. MorningStar said emails from county leaders painted them as the "old PTL" and made claims the ministry was trying to bilk investors of their money.
In August 2020, both parties reached a mutual agreement to dismiss all the legal back and forth.
In June of 2021, MorningStar said the tower would be renovated and transformed into a Christian retirement community. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in June 2021, but WCNC Charlotte learned from York County no building permits had been filed. A month later the county filed a new lawsuit.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.