Pastor on Leave After Comments About 'Trophy Wife' Melania Trump

Viewers of video that went viral were outraged
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 8, 2021 2:32 AM CST
Pastor on Leave After Comments About 'Epic Trophy Wife' Melania Trump
In this Feb. 4, 2020 file photo, Rush Limbaugh reacts as first Lady Melania Trump, and his wife Kathryn, applaud, as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Stewart-Allen Clark, pastor of a Baptist church in Missouri, is on leave after video of a February sermon went viral. In the 22-minute video, Clark urges wives not to give their husbands any reason to stray, the BBC reports. "Why is it so many times that women, after they get married, let themselves go?" he muses. "Now look, I'm not saying every woman can be the epic, epic trophy wife of all time like Melania Trump, I'm not saying that at all. Most women can't be trophy wives, but you know ... maybe you're a participation trophy." An image of the former first lady was shown on a screen behind him as he spoke. "I don’t know, but all I can say is not everybody looks like that. Amen!" he continued. "Not everybody looks like that. But you don’t need to look like a butch either."

Clark goes on to decry everything from women's clothing, to weight, to hair and makeup, to how often they have sex with their husbands. "Ladies, it’s the way God made us. It’s the way we are. Men are going to look. He made us to look. You want them to be looking at you. Don’t let yourself go." General Baptist Ministries released a statement saying the message "included comments that are not consistent with the positions and values of" the denomination, which believes "that every woman was created in the image of God, and they should be valued for that reason." Malden First General Baptist Church later told KCTV that the 55-year-old took a leave of absence starting last week, though it's not clear whether it's paid or unpaid. He is also said to be in professional counseling. (More Melania Trump stories.)

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