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The new chief executive of the Essendon Football Club, Andrew Thorburn, has distanced himself from the homophobic views associated with the Christian church he leads.
Key points:
- Andrew Thorburn urged people to look at his track record of creating inclusive workplaces
- The incoming Essendon CEO said he was "sort of saying" his views were different from the church's
- A member of the Bombers said he would resign his membership
The appointment of the ex-CEO of NAB was announced on Monday, and he will take over the AFL club on November 1.
Mr Thorburn is chair of the City on a Hill church, which has a post on its website of a sermon condemning abortion as "murder".
"Whereas today we look back at sadness and disgust over concentration camps, future generations will look back with sadness at the legal murder of hundreds of thousands human beings every day through medicine and in the name of freedom," it reads.
Another sermon states acting on same-sex attraction is a sin.
"Sex is designed for marriage, and marriage for fulfilling God's mandate for humans to 'be fruitful and multiply'," it reads.
"Lust is a sin, sex outside of marriage is a sin, practising homosexuality is a sin, but same-sex attraction is not a sin."
Thorburn says gay people welcome at Essendon
Mr Thorburn told SEN there were different opinions within church.
"Not everyone in the church agrees with those views, but it's very important in a society that those views can be expressed," he said.
"Some of these views are offensive to people and upset people, and I really respect that.
"I totally respect that people will have a different view to what was expressed, and I'm sort of saying in some ways I do."
He said the posts predated his time at the church, and he had not heard the views in the sermons expressed during his time as chair.
He stressed that gay people were welcome at Essendon, and should feel safe and able to speak out.
"Look at my actions and look at my words as a leader and the organisations I've created to enable safe, diverse, inclusive workplaces," he said.
Mr Thorburn also defended the role of the church.
"People forget the church does a lot of great things," he said.
"It still plays an important role in community."
Dan Andrews labels church's views 'appalling'
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the appointment of Essendon's CEO was a matter for the board.
"There are many reasons to be a somewhat disappointed Essendon supporter," he said.
"Those views are absolutely appalling," he said.
"I don't support those views, that kind of intolerance, that kind of hatred, bigotry — it's just wrong.
As an Essendon supporter, he said he would still renew his membership.
"The Essendon footy club is about more than one person," he said.
"I'd encourage all Essendon members to renew their membership."
Speaking in a personal capacity, Port Phillip deputy mayor and lifelong Essendon supporter Tim Baxter — a bisexual man — said he would resign his Bombers membership.
"I can't be the member of a club that has chosen to make this kind of decision and put this kind of person in a leadership position," he said.
"These are the kind of values that I think are incompatible with leadership, particularly of a footy club that's all about inclusivity."
He labelled Mr Thorburn's comments on SEN "corporate speak" and said he did not go far enough to distance his own views from the church's.
"What he didn't say was: 'I support a woman's right to choose reproductive healthcare, or I support queer people's rights to expressive themselves openly in the world," Mr Baxter said.
Essendon was contacted for comment.