A pastor who recently told men in his congregation that “the best person to rape is your wife” has resigned.
“Pastor Burnett Robinson has resigned as the Senior Pastor of the Grand Concourse Seventh-day Adventist Church,” a spokesman for the SDA’s regional conference said in an email this morning.
“The Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists recognizes many have been deeply harmed by the sentiments expressed by Robinson. The views he expressed are wrong and not accepted by our church,” spokesman Kevin Lampe continued. “Rape and sexual assault of women are crimes and should always be treated as such.
“We will continue to educate and counsel all pastors, seminary students, and staff to fully understand that this type of rhetoric is abhorrent and unequivocally unacceptable. We will continue to pray for and seek to become stronger advocates on behalf of survivors and those still living with violence and abuse. The Seventh-day Adventist Church condemns any language or behavior that perpetrates or encourages any type of violence against women. We humbly apologize and ask for forgiveness.”
Robinson made the statement during a Nov. 13 sermon, The Roys Report reported previously. The sermon has been hidden from the church’s YouTube channel but a video clip of the statement drew widespread condemnation, including from the SDA’s Greater New York Conference and its North American Division.
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Robinson apologized earlier, the Greater New York Conference indicated Monday. They said he “deeply regrets the statement and knows it caused injury and has given an unqualified apology.” The conference also stated Monday that conference representatives had met with Robinson and placed him on immediate administrative leave.
The North American Division also announced Monday it supported the statement released by the conference. “We wholeheartedly condemn any form of behavior or rhetoric that perpetrates any type of violence against women — or any person,” according to the division statement.
Robinson has pastored Grand Concourse SDA Temple since 2013 and has been a guest speaker at SDA events.
Grand Concourse SDA Temple is one of more than 5,000 Adventist churches in the United States and Canada, according to a division spokeswoman. The SDA also operates more than a thousand elementary and secondary schools and 13 colleges and universities in North America.
Sarah Einselen is an award-winning writer and editor based in Texas.
12 Responses
I hope his wife (assuming he has one) is receiving care. And I hope the women of that congregation are receiving a loud-and-clear declaration that that is NOT how their husbands should treat them and that their church will discipline husbands who rape their wives.
Agreed. If this evil minded man was willing to proclaim this irreverent darkness in public, I can’t imagine the vile, destructive “counsel” that has been provided behind closed doors. God knows. Praying that all that has been hidden is revealed.
In addition to the appalling rape statement, this man also told women that once they become wives, “you are no longer your own. You are your husband’s.” This too is shameful. His resignation is a good step, but the harm he has done will have a long reach for both men who believe him . . . and women who believe him.
Right…. EXACTLY what Paul told both men and women in 1Cor 7…..
Marriage is a commitment to share your lives, not a removal of autonomy over you own person. Marriage should be about love and this conduct and teaching is about as opposite to love as it gets.
Ron, your comment is very wise.
+1
In my experience spending the first 20+ years of my life in a conservative evangelical sphere, I don’t recall ever hearing the concept of consent discussed (including in premarital counseling). Nor were personal boundaries in marriage ever on the radar. I think this omission creates fertile ground for skewed and dangerous beliefs, and this pastor provided an extreme example.
Headline is wrong and misleading, seems designed to spur emotion.
I am not surprised.
SDAs can get pretty eccentric, but this guy was way beyond the pale.
Not surprising his denominational authorities came down on him like a ton of bricks.
In Yiddish what he did is called a “Shanda fur die Goyim”, i.e. a doing or saying something that brings reproach upon all those of the faith or group you’re identified with.
A question that I did not see addressed is whether he left because he understood the problem with his actions or was he given a generous cash settlement to leave in order for the church to simply make the problem go away as quickly and quietly as possible.
Dear Christians
This is what happens when your highly exalted pastors whom you foolishly kept afloat like ‘gods’ in the pulpit, with weak yes men elders continue to listen to sermons which include the pastors own garbage anecdotes and worldly opinions – this is not SOLA SCRIPTURA.
JESUS said to go into the world and preach the gospel. I.E SOLA SCRIPTURA
1) I have been on the receiving end of Weaponized SOLA SCRIPTURA. Quoted like a Taliban quoting the Koran.
2) What happens when someone else comes along who acts more Anointed than your “highly exalted pastor”? Wouldn’t he be More Anointed? More Godly? This explains the Deification of Donald Trump.