A pastor who lives in Virginia is facing a federal assault charge, after allegedly hitting his wife in the head for sitting in first class on a flight to Alaska.
Roger Holmberg Sr. told authorities he was upset with his wife when she got upgraded to first class, according to an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Michael Harkless.
Holmberg, 75, previously worked as a pastor at Grace Baptist Temple in Anchorage, Alaska, according to LinkedIn and Alaska News Source.
The alleged assault occurred earlier this month on Alaska Airlines flight 275 from Seattle to Anchorage, according to the affidavit. Holmberg and his wife, Patti, were traveling from Virginia for an event related to their ministry.
Patti Holmburg testified that her husband “struck her in the head with the back of his knuckles while she was seated in the first-class cabin during the flight,” the affidavit states.
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She claimed that he knew she had epilepsy and that contact to her head could cause a seizure, according to the affidavit. Patti Holmberg added that that her husband has “a history of abusing her,” the affidavit stated.
Roger Holmberg told local authorities that he was “upset” when his wife got upgraded to first class because “he wanted his wife to travel with him and sit next to him,” the affidavit said.
“Although he was upset, he stated he was not a violent person and did not intend to hurt his wife,” the affidavit continued.
Holmberg then claimed he merely “tapped his wife on the head in passing to get her attention.” He “insisted he did nothing wrong,” according to the affidavit.
However, two witnesses reported the incident differently.
After Holmberg learned of his wife’s upgrade, one witness heard him say, “How the hell did you get the upgrade?” The wife replied, “I’m (a) gold point member. Don’t speak to me like that,” according to the affidavit.
The witness then saw Holmberg hand his phone to his wife from the aisle, tell her to read it, and promptly gave her the middle finger, the affidavit states.
Next, the witness said they saw Roger Holmberg “swing his arm” towards his wife. Though the witness tried to block the strike, the witness claimed that Holmberg still hit the top of his wife’s head with his hand.
A second witness reported “hearing a disturbance” between Holmberg and a female passenger behind him in the first-class cabin. This witness then realized Holmberg had hit the woman.
The witness talked with a flight attendant regarding the incident. The attendant remarked that Holmberg had previously been disruptive with his wife prior to this.
According to the affidavit, the flight crew notified law enforcement of the alleged assault and Holmberg was arrested at Anchorage Airport.
He was then taken to Anchorage Correctional Center and was released on July 8 on multiple conditions, according to court records. A judge ordered Holmberg to not come within 100 yards of Patti’s home or job, agree to submit a DNA sample, and appear in court, court records report.
He faces a potential fine and/or prison time up to six months if convicted, Wavy News reported.
Additionally, Holmberg has been banned from further Alaska Airlines flights, according to a statement the company gave PEOPLE Magazine.
“We can confirm that Mr. Holmberg has been banned from our flights and a simple assault charge was filed against him by the U.S. Gov’t. (FBI) on July 3rd,” Alaska Airlines said.
In an interview with Alaska News Source, Patti Holmberg shared that she wants to encourage other women who may be suffering from domestic abuse to speak up and seek help.
“I wish more women could . . . stand up for themselves and just say that person is not worth my time. You know, I love him, but I love him enough to let him go,” Patti said.
According to the affidavit, Holmberg allegedly broke his wife’s finger in an incident last September.
However, Roger Holmberg told local authorities that his wife broke her finger by grabbing his leg while he was driving. Holmberg also claimed that Patti had previously grabbed his genitals so forcefully that it hurt him.
Holmberg noted that his wife was “disrespectful to him often and had anger issues,” the affidavit said. He said the two had been going to marriage counseling.
Holmberg and his wife got married about a year and a half ago, after the pastor’s previous wife passed away, the affidavit stated. The couple has known each other for more than 20 years.
Before working as a pastor at Grace Baptist Temple, Holmberg earned an Associate of Arts in Christian Studies from Maranatha Baptist University in the early 1980s, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Holmberg is currently looking to pastor a church in the Seattle area, a post on the Facebook page Roger Allan Holmberg Fan Club said. The page describes Holmberg as “Alaska’s #1 Gospel Singer, Songwriter & Recording Artist” and as “Traveling the world in Concert/Crusade Ministry.”
The page now has a number of angry comments from people upset about the alleged assault.
Freelance journalist Liz Lykins writes for WORLD Magazine, Christianity Today, Ministry Watch, and other publications.
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14 Responses
If he’s willing to hit her in public, you can only imagine what is normalized in private.
In front of at least one witness who was close enough to try to block the pastor’s blow. The arrogance on his part is palpable.
“Holmberg and his wife got married about a year and a half ago, after the pastor’s previous wife passed away …”
Time to get out of there, Mrs. Holmberg.
If an elderly man cannot control his jealousy and anger enough when his wife gets a upgrade in order to be happy for her that she can be comfortable on a flight, that man does not Know the joy of Christ in his heart. Many people will say “Lord, Lord,” but never KNEW Him. No person that Knows the Lord is jealous of anything and they don’t try to intimidate or control anyone or anything. The callousness displayed here toward his own wife should make everyone question his motives and intentions in being a “leader.”
As for being a pastor, the man definitely needs repentance, and probably salvation.
He is no longer Biblically qualified to be a pastor.
“An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money.” – 1 Timothy 3: 2-3 (NASB)
He crashed and burned on a good 5 of the qualifications right then and there.
Time to give him the left boot of fellowship right out the door (making sure his rear doesn’t hit it on the way out).
It’s also possible the old guy has Alzheimer’s or some other condition. The victim said he was agitated all day and has committed battery before. Or he could be an abuser, no excuses, as the old saying goes, “he who excuses himself accuses himself.” Nevertheless, it’s not OK to use your spouse as a punching bag. I hope the Baptists don’t excommunicate her for divorcing him.
I am sure they will.
She broke her finger from “grabbing his leg”, but his assessment is NOT that she is violent, but rather that she is “disrespectful”? That sounds like abuser-speak to me!
I had to read the headline twice – and then the article twice – to wrap my mind around this.
I’m praying for the safety – and healing from the trauma of abuse – for his wife. If he did this in public, as the saying goes, “for every rat you see, there’s 50 you don’t!”
Horrible! I’m glad there were witness to his abuse. Hopefully she’ll get out of the marriage and lead a safer life.
“Patti Holmberg added that that her husband has “a history of abusing her,” the affidavit stated”.
Ooooh…..is that so?! So, this wasn’t his first rodeo. You don’t say. SMH. I hope this time tho, certain parts of her cerebrum is awakened so she can plan exit strategy. I guess she is waiting until she is bleeding…….
If my husband ever lay hands on me or my children even once, I will pick up and leave his magically delicious self. HaShem to do so to me and more, If I hesitate to leave an abusive partnership.
I know HaShem dislikes divorce and is prohibited save for adultery. But, HaShem also abhors the violent and oppressive man.
You aint gotta file for a divorce on paper, but you don’t have to stay in a marriage where you are abused physically or in any wise either. Just flee for safety. Sheeesh………
Women, elevate yourselves. Step up you game. So that you don’t have to depend on any man just because you can’t stand on your own 2 feet alone.
Jesus didn’t forbid all divorce, except for adultery. He forbade divorcing a spouse with the intent of marrying someone else like a paramour. Otherwise, He would be guilty of adding to the Torah and imposing a law that is stricter than the Torah. The Torah permits divorce, but some were abusing that law.
Not quite.
For starters, the exact quote is “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, _except for sexual immorality_, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:9), Sexual immorality is MORE than just a married person sleeping with someone not their spouse. The phrase here rendered “sexual immorality” corresponds to the Deuteronomic phrase “a matter of indecency,” and the natural reading of this passage is that Jesus is basically saying, “Whoever divorces his or her spouse, unless on the grounds of sexual immorality, commits adultery.”
Second, in 1 Corinthians 7, abandonment is also biblical reason for allowing divorce. And I would argue that repeated physical abuse is a type of abandonment as the abuser has made a mockery of marriage in direct violation of Ephesians 5.