Sam Allberry resigns after being ‘disqualified’ from ministry by church

Sam Allberry, one in every of the leading apologists for the view that Christians can discover as same-sex attracted and celibate, has resigned from his position as associate pastor of Immanuel Church Nashville. 

He had been within the role since 2023 prior to his resignation, which got here after he was “disqualified from gospel ministry” by the church elders after reportedly being in an “inappropriate relationship with an adult man in 2022″. The church’s leadership includes Barnabas Piper, the son of John Piper.

Protestia reports that the connection had already ended before Allberry’s appointment and that the church became aware of it in 2024 but didn’t consider his conduct amounted to disqualifying behaviour. The church leadership modified their position after latest information got here to light. 

In a press release the church said that his conduct had “constituted a serious breach of trust and a failure to walk in a fashion worthy of the gospel”. 

“The Elders are unanimous of their decision that Sam is currently disqualified from gospel ministry. Sam agrees with this decision and has resigned from Immanuel Church,” they said.

They added, “Throughout this process, Sam has been repentant, humble, and cooperative with the Elders and outdoors counsel.”

Allberry has also resigned from the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. 

The Gospel Coalition, which Allberry contributed to, said it will be removing his articles “per TGC policy and procedures”.

“We are heartbroken over this news, and we proceed to hope for Sam, Immanuel Church and everybody affected,” it said. 

Living Out, which Allberry co-founded within the UK for Christians who discover as gay and celibate, said it will not be removing his articles as “his many past contributions to this site retain their value”.

It said in a press release, “Living Out exists because of individuals like Sam, and for people like Sam. We proceed to understand all that he has contributed to Living Out. Please join us in praying for Sam and everybody involved – and all of us impacted by this news.”

Allberry has been one in every of the leading voices for the contested view that same-sex attraction is just not sinful as long as it is just not acted upon. He is the writer of Is God Anti-Gay?, which is widely read in evangelical circles.

Church pastor and author Michael Clary said he hoped Allberry’s resignation would prompt discussion within the Church. 

“This was no random, moral failure, however the fruit of a system that refused to acknowledge ‘same sex attraction’ as a dangerous and sinful error, one which particularly aligns with the world’s agenda of normalizing every type of sexual perversion,” he said. 

“This is one of the vital destructive forces in modern evangelicalism. And the entire godless enterprise must be dismantled, brick by brick, and burned to the bottom.”