A Virginia pastor has gone viral after he allegedly compelled a teenage girl to apologize to the congregation for being pregnant out of wedlock.
The incident happened Sunday at the True Vine Apostolic Church in Hampton, VA, during a mass being led by Pastor Terry Jackson and First Lady Sister Paulette Jackson. In a clip posted on Instagram by media personality and journalist Jemele Hill, a young girl was seen standing in front of full pews and emotionally apologizing for her pregnancy.
"I want to apologize to everybody in here because I am pregnant," she said. "I'm sorry y'all. I just hope that y'all all forgive me."
Members of the church stood up after the teen girl's remarks and applauded as she requested prayers before stepping away.
"We Don't Condone Sin"
Following the teenager's apology, Pastor Jackson addressed the congregation and emphasized that no church member would attend a baby shower held for a child born out of wedlock.
"We don't condone sin. Ain't no baby showers. You have a baby out of wedlock ain't nobody in this church bout to attend one," the pastor said.
Comments in Hill's Instagram post expressed support for the teen girl and condemned the church for publicly shaming her for her pregnancy. However, a woman claiming she was the teen's mother said the pastor did not force or manipulate the girl to make the apology and that she "willingly" approached the congregation.
Pregnancy Shaming
It is not the first time a teen girl has been asked to apologize in front of a congregation for her pregnancy.
In 1997, a 15-year-old girl was forced by Former Trinity Baptist Church Pastor Charles Phelps to apologize to the church for bearing a child out of wedlock. The apology came even after it was found that she became pregnant after being raped twice by a 39-year-old fellow church member.
Phelps, however, said he had reported the rape incident to the police and blamed them for failing to act. Authorities responded, saying they tried to investigate the report but could not find the girl until 2010 when internet posts revealed she had already moved to Arizona and was living under her married name.
