Phillip Mitchell Apologizes After Being Under Fire For Fiery Sermon
Pastor Phillip Anthony Mitchell made the headlines again this week for apologizing for his recent fiery sermon about exercising self-control and restraint when encountering law enforcement.
PHILLIP MITCHELL’S FIERY MESSAGE “RENDER WHAT YOU OWE” RECEIVES BACKLASH
On April 13, 2025, Pastor Phillip Mitchell gave a message titled “Render What You Owe,” and part of the message was him teaching his local members, as well as digital followers, the importance of practicing self-control and restraint when they encounter law enforcement. The main takeaway from a recent sermon that he wanted parental figures to grasp was that the Black community must “stop blaming white cops for the killing of Black kids.”
More than just instructions, his message aimed to lead people to expand their perspective on obeying governing authority. Phillip Mitchell sought to illustrate the tension from his own experience and testimony after encountering abusive authority.
Mitchell recalled a life-changing encounter with a white police officer strolling through a neighborhood in his hometown of Queens, NY. The officer used excessive intimidation tactics and force holding a gun to his head before warning him to “say something.”
“In that moment, with a glock pressed to my head, I thought, ‘Either my ego is going to be strong or my submission to authority is going to be stronger than my ego,’” Mitchell explained. “And if I had not been taught to obey authority, and because I’m not saved, I’m separated from God for all eternity by a cop’s bullet.”
Mitchell acknowledged that it would not be surprising for his community to feel disdain over his comments. Still, he reminded people to
“Be model citizens, stop being rebellious towards authority.”
Phillips fiery sermon goes viral, and he receives backlash for it.
PHILLIP MITCHELL APOLOGIZES AFTER BEING UNDER FIRE FOR FIERY SERMON
Due to social media’s tendency to distort and shorten content, many found his message to be ‘harmful‘ and ‘problematic‘. Some interpreted his personal experience as him siding with abusive authority and found it offensive on behalf of black men who’ve experienced police brutality.
On April 19, 2025, Pastor Phillip released a statement on Instagram. You can view it below.
View this post on Instagram
SOCIAL MEDIA WEIGHS IN ON PHILLIPS’ “APOLOGY STATEMENT
Instagram user named glpinto responded as said “No issue at all with original statements. It’s biblical and we need to take accountability. Period.”
Instagram user Twandashae said “For those saying and tempted to say “you don’t have to apologize. I understand what you were saying” is missing the big picture of what he is displaying here. It’s not about if “you” understood or not. What he is exemplifying here is the true heart of God for UNITY, and being a peacemaker. Sometimes it’s not about what you think is right or wrong. It’s about LOVE. And he is recognizing that how he framed his statement has been experienced as unloving by some. And to him THAT is the bigger picture. We need leaders like this today. That will truly represent the heart of the Father in humility. ❤️”
Another Instagram user, Matthewchewning said “If you listen to the message in its entirety, and if you know Pastor Philip beyond a random 30 second clip here and there, then you also know his heart on this issue. The sad reality is we live in a world where it’s been normalized to make holistic judgments about people’s character, experiences, and beliefs based upon a single short clip. Although we should admire his humility in this post, if you understood his statements in relation to the context of the text he was preaching through, then you would clearly see that the backlash is based on a misconstrued narrative, and an attempt to discredit a faithful gospel proclaimer. 🖤🤍 @2819church
What are your thoughts? Should he have apologized? Drop them below.
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