‘Devil’s Tooth Exorcism’ Results in $3.7M Claim Against Tennessee Church

A Tennessee pastor said he cast out a parishioner’s demon, but a lawsuit contends that only the plaintiff’s tooth was exorcised.

According to The Mountain Press, Andrew Byrd filed a $3.7 million lawsuit against the Family Chapel Church of God in Pigeon Forge; pastor Joel Arwood; Arwood’s wife, Theresa Arwood; and Charles Shields.

Byrd said the Arwoods asked to meet him last February at the church, where Teresa Arwood said he had a demon in him. Byrd said Joel Arwood and Shields jumped him, knocking out a tooth crown and cracking other teeth.

The lawsuit said Arwood later bragged to his congregation that he had “punched the devil and knocked the devil’s tooth out.”

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported Arwood declined comment on the advice of his lawyer.

Sevier County deputies served criminal warrants on the defendants.

Latest Comments

• March 4, 2013 at 4:30 pm

  Rockhead says:

  "Place your hand on the Bible... Do you swear to tell the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth, so help you God?"
• March 4, 2013 at 2:15 pm

  Sherinae says:

  For $3.7 million he can "exorcise" all the teeth in my mouth--including the "devil tooth" if I have one. Wow. Over $3 million for a lost tooth and a few cracked ones. Did they... read more
• March 1, 2013 at 1:10 pm

  Redneck says:

  I wanna keep my tooth!