Nashville Pastor Resigns After 'Inappropriate Relationship' with Another Man
Sam Allberry, who served as a pastor at Immanuel Nashville in Tennessee, was determined to be disqualified from ministry over an “inappropriate relationship with an adult man.”
The evangelical church said in a statement that the relationship between the unnamed man and Allberry, who was an associate pastor, had started in 2022 but “concluded prior to Sam being called as a pastor at Immanuel in 2023,” according to a report from Church Leaders.
The elders of Immanuel Nashville learned about the relationship in 2024, but after “considering the information available at that time and the posture of Sam and the other party, the Elders ruled that though Sam’s conduct was unwise, it did not rise to the level of disqualification.”
However, in January of this year, the elders received “new information about this relationship that had not been disclosed previously.”
Their investigation concluded that “while the relationship did not go as far as it could have, Sam’s conduct constituted a serious breach of trust and a failure to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel.”
Statement from Immanuel Church about Sam Allberry.
They knew he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with another man in 2022, didn’t think it was disqualifying and still decided to bring him on as pastor, but then later discovered new information about this relationship… pic.twitter.com/S5erB6n3Ua
— Protestia (@Protestia) May 4, 2026
“The Elders are unanimous in their decision that Sam is currently disqualified from gospel ministry. Sam agrees with this decision and has resigned from Immanuel Church,” the statement continued.
“Throughout this process, Sam has been repentant, humble, and cooperative with the Elders and outside counsel.”
Allberry remains “a brother in Christ and Member of Immanuel.”
Today on the TruthScript Substack: “Sam Allberry, How His Theology Killed His Ministry”
“The question is if you and I will be humble, agree with God, and give no quarter to our indwelling sin; and instead, kill it at the root by repenting and living the opposite.” – @jaredhmoore… pic.twitter.com/jXEruGewpf
— Truthscript (@Truth_Script) May 6, 2026
The pastor also resigned from The Gospel Coalition’s Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, and the entity removed his content from its website and social media channels.
Allberry, who has publicly discussed experiencing same-sex attraction, has generated controversy in recent years for contending that same-sex attraction is not inherently sinful.
While Allberry has rejected “Side B” Christianity — which affirms traditional marriage while positing that homosexual identity is permissible for Christians — his views on same-sex attraction provoked renewed scrutiny following his disqualification.
Immanuel Nashville has multiple prominent evangelicals in their “leaders in residence” program, including Ray Ortlund, Gavin Ortlund, and Russell Moore.
Barnabas Piper, the son of John Piper, is a pastor on staff.
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