A Grammy-winning gospel musician has been accused of sexually abusing and forcibly raping his male assistant, according to a lawsuit filed by the alleged victim.
Donnie McClurkin, 66, is the senior pastor of Perfecting Faith Church, a congregation of 3000 members in Freeport, New York. He is also the founder and president of The New York Call, a coalition of 100 ministries throughout the New York Tri-State area.
In addition to pastoring, he is a world-renowned gospel artist with three Grammys, 10 Stellar Awards, one Dove Award, and numerous Billboard No. 1 entries.
Notably, part of McClurkin’s personal testimony is that he was sexually abused by multiple male relatives as a child, which he says led to homosexual attractions. He eventually wrote about these encounters and his claimed deliverance from them in his book, Eternal Victim, Eternal Victor.
On January 2, 2026, his former congregant and assistant, Giuseppe Corletto, filed a civil complaint alleging that McClurkin repeatedly sexually abused and raped him, starting when he was in his early 20s, over a period spanning from the mid-2000s to 2015.
The lawsuit includes an email allegedly sent by the pastor that reportedly admits to the abuse, as reported by The Christian Post and other outlets.
“I want to apologize for all of my behavior that has been wrong and put you in a wrong place I am the actual epitome of a desperate dirty ‘old man’ … pawning and groping a young man who is just looking for a friendship and close plutonic relationship with someone he wants looks to for help, guidance and spirituality,”
“I was trying to go to a realm of sexuality that wasn’t right and wasn’t right FOR YOU~! (or me, for that matter). I feel so foul … so stupid. I’m old enough to be your father and want to be something else to you. you don’t have that desire for me and I shouldn’t have it for you,” it continues. “I forced myself on you … groping on you … and when I think about it … you never really touched me like that at all …. just wanted to sleep together and hug occasionally. … I am really embarrassed at how I am and how I acted.”
McClurkin’s attorney has denied the allegations, calling them “categorically false” and stating that they mischaracterize past interactions, telling NBC News:
“At no time did Pastor McClurkin engage in any form of sexual abuse, assault, or sexual coercion of Mr. Corletto. The claims set forth in the lawsuit grossly mischaracterize their interactions, which occurred over a decade, and some accusations over 2 decades, ago. All these allegations are contradicted by the real facts.”
2 responses to “Ex-Gay Gospel Star Accused of Sexually Assaulting Male Assistant”
anyone can call themselves a minister of god, but God is the only one who can call you to ministry.
That email doesn’t sound like it was written by someone in Donnie’s calibre going by how he pens his lyrics.. But again, I only found out that he and Nicole never married.