Pastor Greg Locke: ‘I don't know that there is a grief deeper than losing a child’

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Monday, May 11, 2026

Reeling from the death of his 20-year-old son, Evan, from a drug overdose, Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church told his congregation during an emotional Sunday service that he plans to host both a public and private memorial in his honor and declared there is no grief “deeper than losing a child.”

“I don't know that there is a grief deeper than losing a child,” Locke told congregants during their worship service. “I'd go stark-raving crazy if I ever lost my wife, but I think there's a difference in a spouse grief and a child grief.”

The grieving pastor and father announced on Friday that Evan died from a drug overdose after a long and public struggle with addiction and compared his grief to that of King David when his son, Absalom, was tragically killed.

In 2 Samuel 13–19, it shows how David’s relationship with Absalom was fractured after his firstborn son, Amnon, raped Absalom’s sister, Tamar. Absalom became furious with David when he took no action against Amnon. The fracture eventually led to a failed coup by Absalom, which ended with his death.

Though David had commanded his generals to "deal gently" with Absalom during the battle, his commander, Joab, ignored this and killed Absalom. David’s grief was so overwhelming when he learned of Absalom’s death, he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you!"

“It's made me see the Bible differently just in a few days. I used to be frustrated with King David,” Locke said before highlighting the difficult relationship David had with Absalom.

“Like every time I'd read the Bible, I'm like, ‘Bro, Absalom was a jerk. He chased you around for years. Try to steal everything you had. For years, y'all had like a discombobulated relationship, David, if you didn't notice,” the Tennessee-based pastor said. “But when he found out Absalom was dead, none of it mattered. And for three chapters, all he could say was, ‘Oh, Absalom, Absalom, Absalom, Absalom.’”

Locke said even though the devil has tried to attack him with grief and guilt over his son’s passing, he will continue to preach the Gospel.

“So what's done is done. The devil tried to beat you up with grief, guilt, could have been, should have been, would have been, had I been, God says don't do it. You did what you could. People choose,” he declared. “Just makes me hate the devil all the more. Makes me want to preach the Bible all the more. Makes me want to reach people all the more and love the broken all the more.”

Evan Locke’s public memorial is scheduled for May 13 at Global Vision Bible Church in Lebanon, Tennessee. The service is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Family and friends will be received from 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

“We welcome anyone and everyone to attend. Please Note: Those who have left GV through the years are absolutely invited to attend and pay their respects. Evan would have deeply wanted that,” Locke shared on Sunday morning.

Following the public service, Locke said his son will be buried during a more intimate private ceremony on Thursday morning.

“A couple of entire addiction ministries are going to be here and show up and show their support. Some of which he was in. So Wednesday will be the main celebration of life and then Thursday, because we're not doing a processional and those things, we'll make more of an announcement, but it'll be a much smaller deal,” he said. “Friends and family, just much more close-knit friends than just all the people that will be here. And we'll have a private burial on Thursday morning.”