The City of Kingston has issued a statement addressing community concerns and discussions—particularly on social media—about its involvement with the Grove Church in facilitating a proposed baseball league. Officials clarified that the term “partnership,” which has caused confusion, does not refer to any formal legal, fiduciary, or contractual agreement between the city and the church; instead, it simply describes informal cooperation or collaboration to benefit the community, similar to longstanding arrangements with various local groups. The city has a history of working with organizations like the Kingston Optimist Club (which receives utility support for Cherokee ballfield and assistance with Porter Park), Roane County schools for sports facilities, St. Jude’s for fishing tournaments, Bethel Church for the farmers market, AYSO for youth soccer, and numerous churches and nonprofits for events such as the Hardship Hill race for wounded veterans. These arrangements are typically based on handshake agreements rather than formal documents.

To address specific worries, the city emphasized that no group, including the Grove Church, will receive exclusive use of any taxpayer-funded facilities like ballfields—reservations are possible, but fields remain open to all users, from organized teams to casual play. As of the statement, no scheduling requests have been received from the Grove Church, and any future ones would be handled equitably, just like those from the Optimist Club, travel teams, or others. The city stressed its neutrality, endorsing no league over another and encouraging participation in any program—whether through KOC, a potential Grove league, or informal pickup games—while committing to support all community sports initiatives. Officials expressed regret that a well-intentioned effort to promote youth activities has sparked contention, reaffirming pride in Kingston’s parks and sports traditions and a desire to see them thrive for future generations.