A Baptist minister who came under fire for telling married women to “lose weight” and look less “butch” to please their husbands is now eating his words — and temporarily stepping aside.
Pastor Stewart-Allen Clark of 1st General Baptist Church in Malden, Missouri, delivered an enthusiastic sermon on Sunday, which included advice specifically for the wives in his congregation.
“Ladies, here’s the thing you need to know about men: Don’t give him a reason to be like this ‘distracted boyfriend,’ ” Clark began, referencing the popular meme, in his controversial message, which was first reported by the site Friendly Atheist.
“Why is it so many times that women, after they get married, let themselves go?” he questioned.
“Now, look, I’m not saying every woman can be the epic, the epic trophy wife of all time, like Melania Trump — I’m not saying that at all,” the pudgy pastor continued. “Not everybody looks like that! Amen?! But you don’t need to look like a butch, either!”
Backlash following Friendly Atheist’s report prompted 1st General Baptist’s parent organization, General Baptist Ministries, to issue a statement, saying, “The sermon included comments that are not consistent with the position and values” of their denomination. Meanwhile, 1st General has since discontinued their social-media presence, removing all past content as well as their direct contact details.
“In keeping with our structure, the Executive Committee recommended that the Council of Associations and the MoArk Presbytery research the statements and take appropriate action,” they wrote March 2 on Facebook.
When contacted by The Post, General Baptist Ministries declined further comment but noted a statement on the church’s website: “As of March 2, 2021, Pastor Stewart-Allen Clark has taken a leave of absence and is seeking professional counseling.”
The Post was unable to obtain contact information for Clark.
In his remarks, the minister went on to present a scenario in which a husband and wife enter his office for spiritual guidance, asking how their marriage could be more successful.
“If you were sitting in my office, here’s the first thing I’d say to you — and, boy, I hate to say this, this is why I don’t do marital counseling anymore — and that is: weight control,” he professed.
Clark went on to tout makeup and perfume as means to make women less “ugly and stink[y].”
The Christian leader concluded his offensive sermon with a sexist quip: “Scientists have discovered, by the way, a food that diminishes the woman’s sex drive. It’s called ‘the wedding cake.’ ”
General Baptist Ministries added that Clark has been disinvited from moderating the “General Association of General Baptist meeting in July 2022,” saying, “He has resigned from that position.”
‘I’m not saying every woman can be the epic, the epic trophy wife of all time … But you don’t need to look like a butch, either!’
However, it is unclear whether Clark will be removed or transferred from his current post as “each General Baptist church has autonomy from the national organization,” the group noted in their statement.
They went on to clarify the church’s stance on wifehood in regards to Clark’s claims.
“General Baptists believe that every woman was created in the image of God, and they should be valued for that reason. Furthermore, we believe that all individuals regardless of any other factors are so loved by God that Christ died for them,” they wrote.
Despite having removed all traces of Clark’s past preaching, one critic managed to grab some of 1st Baptist General’s content before it was removed. In a video from Mother’s Day Sunday in 2019 — which has not been verified, but features Clark delivering a sermon on his home stage in Malden — he ironically advised women to “know their body type and … know their skinny jeans ain’t working.”
He further proclaimed that, were he a woman, he’d “want to be hot … [and] a natural blonde.”
“You can change your hair color to make yourself to look more feminine. Remember the preacher man told you this, girls,” he added.
