Bombers whacked over controversial new CEO

The appointment of caller Essendon main enforcement Andrew Thorburn is tearing the nine isolated aft it was revealed helium is besides a president of a religion organisation that denounces homosexuality and likens termination to the cognition of attraction camps.

Thorburn's recruitment was described by president David Barham arsenic "bold and decisive" but precocious illustration members are vocal critics, with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, a instrumentality and member, the latest to dependable his disapproval.

Thorburn, the erstwhile NAB chief, is listed arsenic president of an eight-church question called City connected a Hill. According to the website helium became a Christian successful 2002 and has attended since 2014.

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Speaking to SEN connected Tuesday, Thorburn addressed the church's philosophy, saying it should beryllium seeking much diversity.

Newly appointed Bombers manager Brad Scott and nine president David Barham code the media. (Getty)

"I don't ever hold with the church. I'm not a pastor. We should beryllium seeking diversity," helium said.

"I've been a Christian for 20 years. CEO of 2 banks. I've ne'er led with that. Never been an issue. Judge maine connected my words and actions arsenic a leader."

The City connected a Hill website sheds airy connected the church's beliefs regarding abortion, with 1 sermon published successful 2016, reading: "We judge that we indispensable beryllium a dependable for the voiceless, and basal for the rights of the unborn babe and beryllium pro-life.

"Human beingness begins astatine conception. All women and men person intrinsic worth and worthy arsenic images of God. Abortion denies the dependable of the astir susceptible ... 80per cent of those who person aborted their kid person regretted it."

Andrew Thorburn. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In different sermon connected the site, it is stated: "Whereas contiguous we look backmost astatine (sic) sadness and disgust implicit attraction camps, aboriginal generations volition look backmost with sadness astatine the ineligible execution of hundreds of thousands of quality beings each time done medicine and successful the sanction of freedom."

A further sermon connected homosexuality reads: "Sex is designed for marriage, and matrimony for fulfilling God's mandate for humans to 'be fruitful and multiply'. The Torah condemned the signifier of homosexuality truthful that Israel would basal retired among the nations.

"Through Christ, who fulfilled the law, we participate a caller instrumentality of grace, wherever conflict is not a sin, but we are told to fly intersexual immorality and glorify God with our bodies.

"The Bible ne'er calls same-sex attraction a sin. Lust is simply a sin, enactment extracurricular of matrimony is simply a sin, practising homosexuality is simply a sin, but same-sex attraction is not a sin.

"The Christian locomotion is 1 of conflict with misdeed yet successful the gospel we tin find forgiveness and grace. We ought to find our existent love, satisfaction, and acceptance successful Jesus."

Speaking successful a property league connected Tuesday, Andrews powerfully denounced those views.

"Firstly, the assignment of a CEO to a shot nine is simply a substance for the committee of that shot club," Andrews said.

"Secondly, those views are perfectly appalling.

"I don't enactment those views, that benignant of intolerance, that benignant of hatred, bigotry, is conscionable wrong.

"Those benignant of attitudes are simply incorrect and to formal that up arsenic thing different than bigotry is conscionable evidently false."

Essendon Bombers president David Barham speaks to the media. (Getty)

Andrews' comments came soon aft City of Port Melbourne Deputy Mayor Tim Baxter tweeted: "I've made the hard determination to resign my Essendon FC membership, and those of my children, owed to the Essendon board's determination to name the seat of a homophobic and anti-health attraction religion to the presumption of CEO.

"I impulse anyone who cares astir queer rights to resign also... While the determination to name Brad Scott arsenic manager was, successful my view, a bully one, the determination to name Andrew Thorburn arsenic CEO is spitting successful the look of each queer Essendon member, arsenic good arsenic immoderate subordinate oregon protagonist who supports women's rights to reproductive healthcare... As a bisexual antheral I cannot consciousness invited successful this club. @essendonfc your decision, erstwhile the nine has desperately needed a solid, uncontroversial way forward, has alternatively ripped the nine backmost to the acheronian ages, and alienated your members."

Scott 'excited' by Essendon appointment

Speaking astatine the Crichton Medal night, Barham described Thorburn arsenic a "man of large integrity and exceptional vision".

"His acquisition astatine being the CEO of the NAB, 1 of the country's largest organisations and the AFL's large sponsors volition beryllium invaluable arsenic we further relationships with governments, the AFL, valued members and sponsors," Barham said.

"To my cognition nary different AFL nine has ever secured the services of an ASX-listed Top 10 institution CEO to tally its club."

Thorburn served arsenic main enforcement of NAB from 2014 to 2019 and was forced to resign from his presumption astatine NAB owed to findings made by the Royal Commission into misconduct successful the banking manufacture successful 2019.

"In Andrew, we person secured a highly credentialed leader, with a proven way grounds successful improvement and gathering the enactment capabilities of his people," Barham said of his appointment.

"Andrew's absorption volition beryllium connected moving Essendon similar a club, with a renewed absorption connected our members and the halfway crushed which we beryllium – football.

"Andrew is simply a antheral of large integrity and exceptional vision."

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