Popular Bible teacher and YouTuber Pastor Mike Winger sparked wide discussion online this week after stating that King David—the psalmist of Israel and “a man after God’s heart”—would be disqualified from serving as a pastor today because of his multiple marriages.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Pastor Winger addressed the growing online debate about polygamy and biblical leadership standards. Some polygamy advocates, he noted, often cite biblical figures such as David or Solomon to defend the practice.
“Polygamists want to defend their cause by asking, ‘Are you telling me you wouldn’t let David, the psalmist of Israel and anointed of God, become a pastor at your church because he had multiple wives?’” Winger wrote.
“The answer is a simple yes. Yes, David is disqualified to be a pastor because, in addition to being dead, he violates the Holy Spirit’s requirements for pastoral leaders. They must be the ‘husband of one wife,’ as 1 Timothy declares.”
Biblical standard and leadership integrity
Winger emphasized that the New Testament pastoral qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 are clear: an overseer or pastor “must be the husband of one wife.” According to him, this isn’t a question of whether David was godly or used by God—it’s about upholding marriage as a sacred model for the church.
“This is very straightforward and has nothing to do with how godly David may have been,” he wrote. “It has everything to do with how important marriage is and how the pastor of a church must set that holy standard for the other families in the church. Two become one.”
“Great men can still be disqualified”
In an added note, Winger reminded followers that even great biblical figures faced divine disqualification from certain roles despite their faith and accomplishments.
“If anyone is not tracking with me here because you feel like David just couldn’t be disqualified,” he added, “then I would like to point out that David tried to build the Temple for God and God literally told him he was disqualified to do so.
Moses was even disqualified from entering the Promised Land. Great men can still be disqualified from stuff.”
Online reactions
Winger’s post quickly generated debate among Christians, with many agreeing that pastoral leadership must reflect New Testament standards, while others argued that the grace shown to Old Testament figures demonstrates a broader understanding of divine calling.
Still, the central message resonated with many: being called by God for great purposes does not automatically qualify someone for every position of leadership in the Church.
As Winger concluded through his post, biblical leadership carries both privilege and responsibility—and the pastoral office, in particular, demands an unwavering commitment to God’s standard of marriage and holiness.
Source:
Post by @MikeWingerii on X (Twitter)