Twerking, drinking, and smoking are prohibited at this Christian nightclub, which focuses on the Holy Spirit

Seven young Black males came up with the concept for the nightclub, The Cove, in an effort to counteract the post-pandemic drop in church attendance, particularly in Black Protestant congregations.

Helping young adults—who are primarily disenchanted with religion—experience a Christian community outside of the church walls is another objective of the club's monthly events.

Another unspoken rule, according to the Associated Press (AP), is that the club only plays Christian music.

A social media expert, musicians, and other individuals who wished to provide their generation with a secure, genuine, and interesting experience are among the club's founders.

The CEO of The Cove, Eric Diggs, 24, told AP, "We ourselves experienced a pain point of not being able to find community outside of our church and not knowing what to do to have fun without feeling bad for doing stuff that's conflicting to our values." "There was nowhere to raise that. As a result, we brought it about ourselves by experiencing the COVID, loneliness, worry, and sadness.

The Cove has hosted monthly events since its debut pop-up event in November 2023, catering to a varied range of young adults from various backgrounds. These events are ethnically diverse and wear a wide variety of brands and styles.

The diversity surprised me the most, to be honest," said Aaron Dews, one of The Cove's founders. "Being seven Black guys, it has been really encouraging to see the diversity of people we can attract and the unity around a common idea."

Every evening, a guided evening of interaction and connection—both with God and with one another—is provided to participants. One of the founders and frequent emcee, Carlton Batts Jr., divides the participants into groups by posing questions that highlight the diversity of the gathering.

"People can be really cliquey in the church," Batts added. "So, we give them cues here so that people feel really at ease dancing when the DJ set starts."

Food trucks wait in the parking lot for ravenous patrons, while vendors sell bottled water, soda, and sports drinks in place of alcoholic beverages as the holy energy bubbles within.

Most of the comments have been good. But some people have criticized the club founders on TikTok, claiming that dancing and worship are incompatible or even sinful.

Whether it's positive or negative attention, Jordan Diggs says he welcomes it because "just the words Christian and nightclub is going to start a lot of conversation."