A Virginia pastor forced an unwed teenager to apologize to his congregation for getting pregnant. Apparently, the girl sought counseling from the pastor, who advised her to repent and seek forgiveness from the congregation.
Last week, a cell phone video of the young girl’s apology went viral, leading to protests at the True Vine Apostolic Church of Christ.
The incident occurred when Bishop Terry Jackson called upon the unidentified girl to address the congregation. The pastor instructed her to stand in front of the congregation and not touch the table.
“Um, I want to apologize to everyone here because I am pregnant,” she began, pausing to wipe tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry, y’all. I just hope that you all forgive me and hold prayer for me,” she said, as the congregation applauded politely.
The pastor then took the microphone and emphasized the importance of repentance, stating that sinners should not wait until the baby arrives to seek forgiveness. He also criticized the church for not condoning the girl’s sin and for not hosting a baby shower for her.
The conservative church is divided among the sexes, with men dressed in suits on one side of the aisle and women wearing white dresses on the other.
@meek_nochaser This pastor is running his church like a cult #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp
After the video went viral, a young man confronted the pastor — and was promptly shown the door by a group of men. The young man threatened to return with protesters to shut the church down.
@meek_nochaser The congregation was broadcasting live tonight and someone showed up. The video of the young lady getting in front of the congregation is posted on my page. The church is True Vine Apostolic Church of Christ #pastor #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp
As the video clip continued to go viral on social media, the girl’s mother, Dee Myles, responded in a Facebook post.
“To everyone that’s concerned, we greatly appreciate it. However, I do want you to know that you all are interrupting my peace and is causing more damage than good,” Myles wrote. “You are showing up disrupting my church, my beliefs, and disrespecting my pastor. I am where I want to be and where I chose to be. We were not forced or manipulated to stand before the congregation. My daughter willingly approached the congregation and was welcomed and embraced with open arms. I stand on what I’ve been taught, and I’m raising my daughter to do the same.”
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