Professor Joanna Howe and her husband Jack’s discussion on consent included his clumsy wording: “I do marriage, man. Like, I don’t, I don’t do consent.” The wording left room for doubt about whether they believe consent should precede sexual activity in marriage. The Other Cheek discussed this more fully yesterday https://theothercheek.com.au/what-joanna-howe-and-husband-jack-actually-said-about-consent-and-what-they-did-not-say/.
A reader alerted this site to an egregious example of a pastor eliding consent from his discussion of marriage. In this instance there’s seems to be no doubt that consent is not raised as a consideration.
“See in Christianity, sex is like a job. That’s why women, even though you don’t feel like it, if you know you don’t want it, sexuality is not really about you feeling like it. It’s not really about you wanting it. It’s about you sacrificing in order to do it because you are the only wife that your husband will ever have and you are the only person that actually can satisfy and fulfil his deep and sexual needs. Sex is fundamentally a spiritual experience of self-sacrifice. That is why you don’t need to feel like it. You don’t need to want it. You just need to do it. According to the Bible, sex is a job. It’s my favourite job. It’s the best job in the world.”
That’s a quote from Pastor Andrew Sedra, of Echo Church in southwestern Sydney, in his sermon “The Bible ACTUALLY Talks About Sex…” uploaded to YouTube four months ago. The Other Cheek has read the entire transcript and finds no mention of consent, no hint that a husband or wife can say “not tonight.”
Instead, the sermon is a flat and hardline interpretation of 1 Corinthians 7:2–5: “…each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfil his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
Other scriptures speak of living considerately with your spouse. For example, “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives…” in 1 Peter 3:17 and the many passages about mutual submission, for example, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” that frame the discussion about relationships, including marriage, that follow in Ephesians 5. Or even the exhortation to “Honour one another above yourselves,” from Romans 12:10 – from the passage we chose for this writer’s wedding.
However, none of this type of passage is referenced in the sermon, despite a wide range of Bible passages alluded to by Sedra – for example, urging faithfulness with Proverbs 5:18: “may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.”
A question for preachers (many of The Other Cheek’s readers): how well have you preached 1 Corinthians 7?
Echo church has made news recently – Andrew Sedra and his brother Martin were honoured as Christian Zionists by The Jerusalem Post this month, but more controversially, perhaps claimed that a group of masked people who attacked his family home earlier this month are “four left-wing LGBTQ activists.”
The group allegedly cut off electricity to the property, tried to force entry, and shouted explicit death threats while mentioning family members by name, according to Sedra family socials. (Vision Media report)
Millicent Sedra’s Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc6C1fGvp8c/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
The fullest account of the police response is reported by the gay site Out In Perth: “Police said officers attended a home in Sydney’s south-western suburbs, shortly before 8.30 pm on Thursday, 3 September 2026, after reports of a disturbance. Officers issued move-on directions to four people. Police said three complied, while a 39-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly failing to do so.
“Police said they were later informed that the woman allegedly threatened occupants of the home. The woman has since been served with a Future Court Attendance Notice for allegedly stalking or intimidating another person with intent to cause fear of physical harm. She is scheduled to appear before Picton Local Court on 22 October 2026.
“Police have not publicly confirmed the family’s separate allegations that power was cut to the property or that anyone attempted to break into the home. They have also not made any statements about the offenders sexuality or political affiliations.”
A site set up to scrutinise Echo church claimed the protestors were former church members or supporters protesting the church leadership and culture.
The Other Cheek believes we should wait for the court case.
A GiveSendGo fundraiser to help the family move has raised over $300,000. https://www.givesendgo.com/urgent-help-the-sedra-family-move-to-a-s
Image: Pastor Andrew Sedra preaches on sex and marriage. Image Credit: Echo Church YouTube screenshot
John – u may not mean it to, but by putting this weird unloving guy up “next to” the Howe discussion you do seem to be creating guilt by association
i benefit from your work but this seems a “dog act” (apolgies to dogs) Either careless or deliberate
As I wrote, someone sent this story as an example of preaching about sex in marriage without mentioning consent. That’s all that caused me to write, But you made me curious, and I checked, Millicent Sedra spoke at the recent Abortion rally. Here is Josanna Howe’s announcement… “SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT📣 So excited that the one and only Millicent Sedra will be speaking at our NSW rally for the babies on September 15 at 6PM outside the parliament. With over one million socials followers, Millicent is a powerful, electrifying speaker and we are so thrilled that she will be exhorting our politicians to pass the first ever prolife bill in NSW history which goes to a vote the day after the rally. Bring your kids, friends and fam”