You may remember Gavin Peacock as a Chelsea midfielder with a taste for scoring against Manchester United.
Now, however, he’s a pastor in Canada – and he has a few controversial things to say on the subject of marriage.
Husbands: one of your primary duties in loving your wife is to feed her with the Word of God daily.
— Gavin Peacock (@GPeacock8) January 6, 2015
Wives: one of the primary ways you are to respect your husband is by gladly submitting to and encouraging his leadership.
— Gavin Peacock (@GPeacock8) January 6, 2015
God's divine design for marriage in male headship and female submission is complementary not competitive.
— Gavin Peacock (@GPeacock8) January 6, 2015
Peacock moved to Canada to become a pastor in 2008, giving up his post-football media career in the process.
The former midfielder, who also played for Newcastle and QPR, had been a familiar face on BBC’s football coverage.
And it would appear his views did not go down well with former colleague Jacqui Oatley.
Gav?! RT @GPeacock8 Wives: one of the primary ways you are to respect your husband is by gladly submitting to and encouraging his leadership
— Jacqui Oatley (@JacquiOatley) January 6, 2015
Peacock followed up his tweets with a lengthy blog post, explaining where his views were coming from.
In it he explains his belief that “God has assigned different and complementary roles to men and women within marriage” and that “men bear a unique authority and responsibility before God for leadership”.
Peacock states that “a husband is called to be a Christlike leader to his wife” and adds: “A wife is called to respond to this leadership by her respect for and voluntary affirmation of his leadership. This is called submission in the Bible. She comes alongside him as his helper in the marriage. She respects his position as head of the home and uses her gifts to encourage her husband.”
He goes on to bemoan the changing status of marriage in society – including the advent of gay marriage in the UK – calling it an “unholy pursuit of what seems right to the individual”.
It’s fair to say the majority of the online response has been less than favourable.
@JacquiOatley @leazeslad @lucywardleeds @Hutchywutch Think that rules out further work on women's football then….
— Anna Kessel (@Anna_Kessel) January 6, 2015
BIT OUT THERE THIS ONE BROTHER, MAY WANT TO RECONSIDER @GPeacock8
— Ricky (@therickypedia) January 6, 2015
“@GPeacock8: Wives: one of the primary ways you are to respect your husband is by gladly submitting to and encouraging his leadership.†NOPE
— YungLordWizardKing (@RosieMarx) January 6, 2015
Source: SNAPPA
