Pastor Sparks Backlash for Saying Interracial Marriages, Including His Own, Are Not ‘Ideal’

Michie · Jan 13, 2026

An Arizona pastor has taken to social media to question the wisdom of interracial marriage, characterizing his own marriage to a Latina woman as less than “ideal.”

Partridge is an author and pastor of King’s Way Reformed Church in Prescott, Arizona. He is known for posting provocative content regarding a variety of issues. In October, Partridge was at the center of online controversy after criticizing the “crack-sucking leggings” worn by a waitress where his family ate a meal.

Dale Partridge: Interracial Marriage Is Not the ‘Ideal’

“As a Christian man happily married to a Mexican/Spanish/American woman, I actually agree with @JoelWebbon,” Partridge said in a social media post on Saturday (Jan. 10). “Interracial marriage is not the ‘ideal.’”

Continued below.

Pastor Sparks Backlash for Saying Interracial Marriages, Including His Own, Are Not ‘Ideal’

Arizona Pastor Dale Partridge is questioning the wisdom of interracial marriage, characterizing his own marriage as less than “ideal.”

churchleaders.com

Tuur · Jan 13, 2026

His observations are the same as I’ve heard from an interracial couple. Though they loved each other, and it wasn’t a sin, they did face significant societal hurdles. I don’t think it’s quite as bad now, but at least fifty years ago there was strong opposition to interracial marriage among all local races, and it did cause problems for couples.

johansen · Jan 13, 2026

Its not uncommon for folks like this to be exactly what they hate the most

Sometimes is homosexuality, or worse.

RamiC · Jan 13, 2026

Tuur said:
His observations are the same as I’ve heard from an interracial couple. Though they loved each other, and it wasn’t a sin, they did face significant societal hurdles.

My marriage is mixed race, to a mixed race man. Yes to this, the article linked in the OP ends up with strange statements about race not existing and "identity politics". Well scientifically speaking race is virtually irrelevant, but as a lived experience it is really relevant.

RileyG · Jan 13, 2026

johansen said:
Its not uncommon for folks like this to be exactly what they hate the most

Sometimes is homosexuality, or worse.

Yup. Psychologists call it reaction formation.

RileyG · Jan 13, 2026

Michie said:
An Arizona pastor has taken to social media to question the wisdom of interracial marriage, characterizing his own marriage to a Latina woman as less than “ideal.”

Partridge is an author and pastor of King’s Way Reformed Church in Prescott, Arizona. He is known for posting provocative content regarding a variety of issues. In October, Partridge was at the center of online controversy after criticizing the “crack-sucking leggings” worn by a waitress where his family ate a meal.

Dale Partridge: Interracial Marriage Is Not the ‘Ideal’
“As a Christian man happily married to a Mexican/Spanish/American woman, I actually agree with @JoelWebbon,” Partridge said in a social media post on Saturday (Jan. 10). “Interracial marriage is not the ‘ideal.’”

Continued below.

Pastor Sparks Backlash for Saying Interracial Marriages, Including His Own, Are Not ‘Ideal’

Arizona Pastor Dale Partridge is questioning the wisdom of interracial marriage, characterizing his own marriage as less than “ideal.”

churchleaders.com

That’s just odd. I’m not sure what else to say. I know plenty of couples in interracial relationships and they’re happy and thriving.

Richard T · Jan 13, 2026

I am glad all Christians are one in Christ Jesus. To those who marry other races the obstacles and racism they may face are ideal. Why? Because Christians learn to br overcomers by the pressures they face. Im not sire about the reaction to the waitress. Most would just look the other. A soulwinner with compassion would use it as an opportunity to share. (Edited to reflect more thought on this article)

RamiC · Jan 14, 2026

Richard T said:
God does not see race to those in Christ,

He sees racism in those who are guilty of it, and He sees racism as relevant to mixed race families wherever and however they are subjected to it.

Richard T · Jan 14, 2026

Thanks,

RamiC said:
He sees racism in those who are guilty of it, and He sees racism as relevant to mixed race families wherever and however they are subjected to it.

Thanks, I reread the article. I still disagree with what "ideal" might be. It seems kind of discouraging to those who do marry another race. I doubt he meant it that way though.

RamiC · Jan 14, 2026

Richard T said:
Thanks,

Thanks, I reread the article. I still disagree with what "ideal" might be. It seems kind of discouraging to those who do marry another race. I doubt he meant it that way though.

I think that the wording is a bit odd -"not ideal" as compared to what? It does say that he is in a mixed race marriage. I would not have used those words to depict my own marriage, I assume that all marriages involve the adventure of merging your life with another human being, if your spouse is of a minority race, or persecuted race in your part of the world, then that is part of it for you. Marriage is how we have been called to live, unless God has provided a single life for us, I believe the word "ideal" just does not apply.

2PhiloVoid · Jan 14, 2026

Michie said:
An Arizona pastor has taken to social media to question the wisdom of interracial marriage, characterizing his own marriage to a Latina woman as less than “ideal.”

Partridge is an author and pastor of King’s Way Reformed Church in Prescott, Arizona. He is known for posting provocative content regarding a variety of issues. In October, Partridge was at the center of online controversy after criticizing the “crack-sucking leggings” worn by a waitress where his family ate a meal.

Dale Partridge: Interracial Marriage Is Not the ‘Ideal’
“As a Christian man happily married to a Mexican/Spanish/American woman, I actually agree with @JoelWebbon,” Partridge said in a social media post on Saturday (Jan. 10). “Interracial marriage is not the ‘ideal.’”

Continued below.

Pastor Sparks Backlash for Saying Interracial Marriages, Including His Own, Are Not ‘Ideal’

Arizona Pastor Dale Partridge is questioning the wisdom of interracial marriage, characterizing his own marriage as less than “ideal.”

churchleaders.com

It can't be interracial if there's only ONE HUMAN RACE. ONE. And it's always only been ONE.

Maybe the term 'interracial' needs to be expunged from the dictionary, especially since it has such an abusive history?

The only reason a so-called 'interracial' marriage may be less than ideal is in the fact that the world if filled with a bunch of ignorant, racist idiots who think they have to bring down the hammer on those who have different levels of pigment melanin. Obviously, the presence of such ignorance from the outside puts pressure upon and strains some relationships.

The whole presence of racism should be gone by now. But no.........wait a minute.............it's still hang'n on out there in LA LA Land.

Firstlightdawn · Sunday at 9:57 AM

Michie said:
An Arizona pastor has taken to social media to question the wisdom of interracial marriage, characterizing his own marriage to a Latina woman as less than “ideal.”

I wouldn’t agree with that. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. For example, our son is very healthy and very intelligent. And when you look across different economic groups, you see the same pattern — families in every bracket have strengths, challenges, and outcomes that don’t fit the stereotypes people like to throw around. But he is asian so you can not really compare that with latino.

Hentenza · Sunday at 10:48 AM

“Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Genesis 1:26-27 (NASB2020) - Then God said, “Let Us make mankind | YouVersion

Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and

bible.com

Nuff said. One mankind in Gods image.

John G. · Sunday at 3:15 PM

Lots of idealism here but reality is different.
Marriage to a person who is different to you is best avoided.
Opposition from in-laws and society aside, there are different traditions and expectations involved that can result in misunderstandings and quarrels.
The only interracial couples I know that have stuck it out and are happy are those that share a deeper commitment to something else e.g. a strong faith in Jesus.

Bob Crowley · Sunday at 11:14 PM

I think his comments are valid. He wasn't saying mixed race marriages shouldn't happen, and he happily admitted his own wife is of latino origin.

All he was saying was that mixed race marriages can come with some additional hurdles to work through.

I posted this question on the net - "Do mixed race marriages have higher divorce rates in Australia? and received the following AI response.

Research on mixed-race or interethnic marriages in Australia suggests they may face higher risks of dissolution, with some studies indicating a roughly 10% higher separation rate compared to same-race, homogamous couples. While some studies show higher, others indicate that differences in divorce rates often disappear when controlling for similar life quality and cultural, socioeconomic factors.

The same search gave this response from an American perspective.

Marital Dissolution Among Interracial Couples - PMC

Increases in interracial marriage have been interpreted as reflecting reduced social distance among racial and ethnic groups, but little is known about the stability of interracial marriages. Using six panels of Survey of Income and Program ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Abstract

Increases in interracial marriage have been interpreted as reflecting reduced social distance among racial and ethnic groups, but little is known about the stability of interracial marriages. Using six panels of Survey of Income and Program Participation (N = 23,139 married couples), we found that interracial marriages are less stable than endogamous marriages, but these findings did not hold up consistently. After controlling for couple characteristics, the risk of divorce or separation among interracial couples was similar to the more-divorce-prone origin group. Although marital dissolution was found to be strongly associated with race/ethnicity, the results failed to provide evidence that interracial marriage is associated with an elevated risk of marital dissolution.

In short, mixed race marriages may carry an additional load of cultural and socio-economic factors. It doesn't mean they can't work, which is exactly what the pastor said in the first place.

Having said that, I'm aware of several mixed race marriages in my own Catholic parish and my wife's Baptist parish which are quite successful.

RDKirk · Sunday at 11:25 PM

Tuur said:
His observations are the same as I’ve heard from an interracial couple. Though they loved each other, and it wasn’t a sin, they did face significant societal hurdles. I don’t think it’s quite as bad now, but at least fifty years ago there was strong opposition to interracial marriage among all local races, and it did cause problems for couples.

You're saying that mixed race marriages are a problem because other people cause them to be a problem.

RDKirk · Sunday at 11:29 PM

John G. said:
Lots of idealism here but reality is different.
Marriage to a person who is different to you is best avoided.
Opposition from in-laws and society aside, there are different traditions and expectations involved that can result in misunderstandings and quarrels.
The only interracial couples I know that have stuck it out and are happy are those that share a deeper commitment to something else e.g. a strong faith in Jesus.

That's not race, that's culture, which is a different thing.

There are black people who were raised in middle-class families, in middle-class suburban neighborhoods who have attended school and even church with white people. Do you really think they would "do better" married to someone from a deep urban ghetto than the white person next door?

Tuur · Monday at 5:05 AM

RDKirk said:
You're saying that mixed race marriages are a problem because other people cause them to be a problem.

"A problem" in the sense that it's hard on the couple. And yes, it's due to how they're treated.

RamiC · Monday at 6:31 AM

RDKirk said:
You're saying that mixed race marriages are a problem because other people cause them to be a problem.

My mixed race marriage is not a problem. There are these people who have a problem with it...they are called racists.

John G. · Monday at 7:59 AM

RDKirk said:
There are black people who were raised in middle-class families, in middle-class suburban neighborhoods who have attended school and even church with white people. Do you really think they would "do better" married to someone from a deep urban ghetto than the white person next door?

They would do better with other black people from a similar background i.e. middle class.
Besides race - and ethnicity - socio-economic status and age also play a significant role.
Avoid opposites. Opposites attract... divorce.

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