Gavin Ortlund’s Gay Affirming Pastor Sam Allberry Resigns Over Homosexuality

Sam Allberry was an inagural Tim Keller Fellow at the Keller Center of Cultural Apologetics, a pastor at Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where Russell Moore and Gavin Ortlund are on staff, and the founder of Living Out. He is part of the second generation of Side B theologians who teach that homosexual desires and identity are not sinful. In an unsurprising development, Sam Allberry has resigned as a pastor and been canceled by The Gospel Coalition.

The Gospel Coalition announced:

Statement from The Gospel Coalition’s Board of Directors

TGC was informed yesterday by Sam Allberry about “an inappropriate relationship with another man a few years ago” and that an announcement would be made today at Immanuel Church regarding his resignation as a pastor. He then also resigned as a fellow of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. Per TGC policy and procedures, we immediately began to remove all of Sam’s content from our website and other content channels, and we deferred this statement until the church membership was informed. We are heartbroken over this news, and we continue to pray for Sam, Immanuel Church, and everyone affected.

The plot thickens:

STATEMENT FROM THE ELDERS OF IMMANUEL CHURCH

In spring of 2024, the Immanuel Elders were made aware that Pastor Sam Allberry engaged in an inappropriate relationship with an adult man in 2022. This relationship concluded prior to Sam being called as a pastor at Immanuel in 2023. Being made aware, the Elders immediately began a thorough investigation. 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 2026, the Elders received new information about this relationship that had not been disclosed previously. This initiated a reopening of the investigation, the findings of which led the Elders to conclude 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. 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.

Throughout this process, Sam has been repentant, humble, and cooperative with the Elders and outside counsel. The Elders continue to care for Sam as a brother in Christ and Member of Immanuel. We will continue to support Sam and the other party with counseling, and we are determined in so far as we are able to “restore him in a spirit of gentleness” to full fellowship in the church (Galatians 6:1).

This gay relationship was hidden, then made known, then excused, then the lie exposed. But it cannot be understated that a gay relationship was originally deemed unwise but not disqualifying by Gavin Ortlund and Russell Moore’s church, as though the biblical requirement for a pastor to be above reproach meant nothing.

What probably happened was that Sam Allberry was likely trying to pioneer celibate gay relationships which ended predictably poorly. And then he blatantly lied to Immanuel Church about it. However, this church was looking to be lied to. Wise as serpents would entail not believing Allberry’s claim that a gay relationship didn’t involve sex.

Sam Allberry was the founder of Living Out, a gay affirming organization that pushed for homosexual activism and ministries. His theology has been warned about for years by Evangelical Dark Web and others.

Allberry was also a prodigy of Tim Keller a few years ago when it was announced that he would be an inaugural fellow at the Tim Keller Center For Cultural Apologetics. This was while Keller was still alive, and Allberry was not the only member who taught Side B Theology on there, as the theology has its origin in Keller himself, a subject for another article or book.

Sam Allberry deleted his X account.