A Nashville pastor is facing scrutiny after teaching that God once had a wife named Asherah who was later written out of the Bible

Maranatha Express Facebook page ^ | 8/28/2026

[Republican Wildcat]

A Nashville pastor is facing scrutiny after teaching that God once had a wife named Asherah who was later written out of the Bible. Zach Helton, co-pastor of Glendale Baptist Church, a congregation associated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists, made the claims during a recent sermon. Helton told his congregation that Asherah was the "female divine presence who was worshipped alongside Adonai" and the ancient consort of God before biblical authors concealed her identity.

Helton's church bio states he is "deeply shaped by the teachings of Jesus, Buddhist practice, mysticism, and perennial wisdom over any particular religious expression." He condemned King Josiah for destroying idols and Asherah poles during his reign, lamenting the impact it would have on young Israelite girls who needed a feminine deity to look up to. Helton argued that Josiah's reforms were motivated by a desire to consolidate political power, not theological purity.

The pastor claimed that ancient Israel worshipped not only Yahweh but Yahweh and Asherah together, and that the prophetic literature shows nobody had a problem with that. He asserted that scriptures were modified and history rewritten to eliminate the divine feminine, blaming "fragile male egos" for the change. "Can you imagine for a minute being a woman in seventh-century BCE Israel?" Helton asked his congregation.

Critics have pointed out that nowhere in the Bible is God said to have a wife, and that Asherah is consistently presented as a false idol. One response noted, "Asherah is not Eve, nor is she the wife of God for God does not have a wife." The theory Helton presented, while discussed in some academic circles, remains highly controversial and is rejected by orthodox Christian theology

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TOPICS: Religion
KEYWORDS: asherah; bonos; canaanite; cbf; cino; cults; fakechristians; fringegroups; idols; lgbtq; lgbtqrstuvwxyz; motherofgod; nashville; patriarchy; racism; religions; waronchrist; waronchristians; woke; wolves; wolvesinsheepswool

[WhiteHatBobby0701]

CBF. And don’t forget the CBF now controls evangelical church music via Brentwood-Benson now part of the CBF’s Mercer.

[EnderWiggin1970]

The pastor claimed that ancient Israel worshipped not only Yahweh but Yahweh and Asherah together,

There is archeological evidence of this, and I recall a secular archeology professor citing it when mocking Christians. The poor ignoramus evidently didn't know the Old Testament very well, because evidence like this doesn't contradict the Bible, it confirms it. Throughout the OT we have descriptions of the Jews falling away and worshipping other Gods and participating in vile practices, and this was just part of their apostasy.

The false part is claiming the Bible ever taught God had a wife. That's nonsense. But heretical Jews were certainly worshipping Asherah and bringing God's wrath down on them.

[Vermont Lt]

There are lots of religious stories that are not “in the bible.”

Understanding what they are, where they come from, and why they are not included is interesting reading for people interested in “comparative religion.” I would imagine that anyone with a formal religious education would recognize a lot of those stories.

That said, teaching them as part of bible study in a traditional Christian church is probably ill advised without a lot of “disclaimers.”

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

People say stupid stuff daily. It oughtn’t make headlines.

But then what else would satan do to distract us from a Godly thought.

[HIDEK6]

Attention-seeking behavior.

[Old Yeller]

That’s as crazy as calling Mary, the mother of God.

[Jan_Sobieski]

Just before God destroyed Judah, Sodomites were living on the Temple Mount next to the Temple. In context, it would appear they were the idolatrous Priests in Charge. America is at this point today…

2 Kings 23:7And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove

[Jan_Sobieski]

Good write up.

[SeekAndFind]

This so-called Pastor probably reads too much Greek Mythology and now confused the True God with the horny Zeus.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

From his "church" site ---

Glendale Baptist Church: a caring community of equality and grace, is a community of Jesus' followers who value connection, laughter, curiosity, service, and compassion. We are explicit about our welcome—totally inclusive of the LGBTQIA community in all areas of membership and leadership; learning and working out our practice in dismantling the sins of white supremacy and patriarchy; listening intently to voices representing all ages, all income levels, all kinds of previous church experience or non-experience, all ways of thinking about the Holy. We are socially progressive, theologically liberal, and individually committed to the authentic practice of faith and values.

Glendale Social Democrats chapter in Nashville.....

[alloysteel]

The collection of religious institutions that call themselves “Baptist” has been notorious for overlooking a lot of the axioms that make up the more orthodox Christian theology, and preaching a freewheeling interpretation of the Scriptures that read a lot of things into the text that are simply not there.

Not all Baptists do this, or course, but those who do bring down much of the grief that critics of the whole concept of Christianity heap upon all who are of that persuasion.

[Republican Wildcat]

Yes, indeed - Asherah's mention was *not* removed from the Bible - that false idol is mentioned many times as being a false idol.

And the sermon per the article said the following: He condemned King Josiah for destroying idols and Asherah poles during his reign, lamenting the impact it would have on young Israelite girls who needed a feminine deity to look up to. Helton argued that Josiah's reforms were motivated by a desire to consolidate political power, not theological purity. The pastor claimed that ancient Israel worshipped not only Yahweh but Yahweh and Asherah together, and that the prophetic literature shows nobody had a problem with that. He asserted that scriptures were modified and history rewritten to eliminate the divine feminine, blaming "fragile male egos" for the change. "Can you imagine for a minute being a woman in seventh-century BCE Israel?" Helton asked his congregation.

[Democrat = party of treason]

Nothing to see here, just more false teachers the Bible speaks of...

[Republican Wildcat]

This the CBF - an alliance of the left-wing churches that left the SBC.

[Vaduz]

In the Bible, Asherah is both an ancient Canaanite mother goddess and a physical wooden cult object that the biblical prophets strongly condemned.

The word “Asherah” (and its plural form, asherim) appears about 40 times in the Hebrew Bible. Most of the time, it refers to carved wooden poles rather than the goddess herself.

[PAR35]

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Liberals like Jimmy Carter

and the Alliance of Baptists

"faith-based justice, anti-racism, and community initiatives rooted in Baptist values and inclusivity." and "Act to dismantle systems of white supremacy, patriarchy, and abusive power, Raise prophetic voices for liberation and justice"

[af_vet_1981]

https://www.glendalebaptist.org/staff

The other purported pastor is a woman.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Sounds like he has been watching too much YouTube.

[af_vet_1981]

That’s as crazy as calling Mary, the mother of God.

Miriam/Mary is the mother of "God with Us." If you deny it, you deny the faith once delivered to the saints.

Isaiah 7:

10. Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
11. Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
12. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.
13. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:

18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

John 20:

26. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27. Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
30. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.