Pastor Young in Say a Little Prayer: Character Analysis
Overview
Pastor Young is the charismatic, controlling pastor of Pleasant Hills Baptist Church and the primary antagonist of Jenna Voris's Say a Little Prayer. He is also the father of Julia and Ben, Riley's closest friends. On the surface, he presents himself as a warm, attentive shepherd who remembers every congregant's name and offers prayers for their struggles. Beneath that veneer, however, he wields his pulpit as a weapon, using shame, fear, and public humiliation to enforce a rigid, unforgiving version of faith. His actions—from preaching that homosexuality is a sin to publicly reading his own daughter's private prayer book—expose a man who equates obedience with holiness and who will sacrifice anyone, including his family, to preserve his authority.
Pastor Young is not a cartoon villain but a disturbingly realistic figure. He genuinely believes he is saving souls, yet his methods are manipulative and cruel. The novel uses him to explore how institutional religion can be twisted into a tool of oppression, and how even well-meaning leaders can become complicit in harm when they prioritize control over compassion.
Plot Role
Pastor Young is the engine of the plot. His decision to preach against homosexuality drives Riley out of the church and fuels her resentment. His shaming of Hannah—Riley's sister—after her abortion is the specific wound that motivates Riley's desire for revenge. When Riley is forced to attend his church camp as an alternative to suspension, Pastor Young becomes the direct antagonist she must outmaneuver. He monitors her behavior, warns her against being a "bad influence," and pressures her to rejoin his congregation. His ultimate act—reading Julia's prayer book aloud during a Sunday service—triggers the novel's climax, leading to a mass walkout and the expulsion of Riley, Julia, and others. Even after the walkout, he continues to preach, though his authority is now questioned by some congregants, leaving his future uncertain.
Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions
Pastor Young's primary motivation is control. He wants to be the unquestioned moral authority of his community. This is evident in his sermon comparing sin to a virus, his insistence that no sin is acceptable, and his demand for absolute conformity. He uses guilt and fear to keep his flock in line, as seen when he tells Riley that her family's sins are not hers to bear—a statement that simultaneously absolves her and reinforces his judgment of her family.
His actions reveal a deep-seated need to be seen as righteous. He is obsessed with appearances, from his perfectly tailored sermons to his careful public persona. When Riley questions him, he immediately threatens to tell her principal that the camp "didn't work out," showing that he will use institutional power to punish dissent. He also demonstrates a possessive, protective attitude toward his children, but it is a protection rooted in control rather than love. He warns Riley to stay away from Julia and Ben, calling her a potential "bad influence," and he expects his children to embody his ideals without question.
Pastor Young is also deeply hypocritical. He preaches against greed, yet he hoards power. He condemns lust, yet he uses his position to manipulate and shame. He claims to love his congregation, yet he publicly humiliates a teenage girl to make a point. The novel suggests that his hypocrisy is not conscious malice but a blindness to his own flaws—he genuinely believes he is acting in God's service, which makes him even more dangerous.
Chronological Arc
Pastor Young's arc is not one of redemption but of escalating control and eventual fracture. Before the novel begins, he has already driven Riley away by preaching against homosexuality and shaming Hannah. At camp, he initially appears welcoming, but his true nature emerges in small, chilling moments: the pointed question about Riley's prayer requests, the warning on the path, the veiled threat about her principal. He watches Riley closely, and his gaze becomes a source of dread for her.
As the camp progresses, Pastor Young's sermons grow more pointed, and his manipulation of Riley intensifies. He tries to convince her to rejoin his congregation, using her family's "sins" as leverage. When she refuses, he escalates to public exposure. At the Sunday service, he produces Julia's prayer book—marked with a butterfly sticker—and reads aloud passages expressing her feelings for another girl. He demands the writer confess, intending to shame her into submission. Instead, his plan backfires spectacularly: Riley claims the book, then Greer, then Julia, then Delaney, Torres, Amanda, and Ben all claim it in turn, and the congregation walks out.
After the walkout, Pastor Young expels Riley, Julia, Torres, and Delaney from the church. He continues to preach, but his authority is now cracked. The novel ends with him still in his pulpit, but the solidarity of the young people has shown that his power is not absolute.
Relationships
With Riley: Pastor Young sees Riley as a problem to be fixed. He resents her for leaving his congregation and for her friendship with his children. He tries to control her through guilt, threats, and surveillance. Their relationship is a power struggle, with Riley ultimately refusing to be cowed.
With Julia: Pastor Young's relationship with his daughter is the most tragic. He loves her, but his love is conditional on her obedience. He expects her to be the perfect pastor's daughter, and he uses her as a tool to maintain his image. When he reads her prayer book, he betrays her trust in the most public way possible, revealing that his need for control outweighs his love for her. Julia's eventual confession and walkout are a direct rebellion against his authority.
With Ben: Ben is more peripheral, but Pastor Young's influence is evident. Ben is anxious about his future and secretly texts Hannah, suggesting he is also struggling under his father's expectations. He ultimately joins the walkout, showing that even his son cannot fully support him.
With Hannah: Pastor Young publicly shamed Hannah after her abortion, an act that fractured the Ackerman family's relationship with the church. He refuses to welcome her back, and his treatment of her is a key reason Riley wants to expose him.
With the Congregation: Pastor Young is a master of manipulation, using his charisma to maintain loyalty. However, his actions at the service cause some congregants to question him, and the walkout reveals that his authority is not as absolute as he believes.
Key Decisions and Consequences
- Preaching against homosexuality and shaming Hannah: This drives Riley away and plants the seed of her revenge plan. It also alienates Julia, who secretly disagrees with her father.
- Warning Riley at camp: This intensifies Riley's determination to prove him wrong and leads her to document the seven deadly sins in her prayer book.
- Threatening to tell Riley's principal: This shows his willingness to use institutional power to punish dissent, but it also pushes Riley to be more defiant.
- Reading Julia's prayer book publicly: This is his fatal mistake. It backfires spectacularly, uniting the young people in solidarity and causing a walkout. It also destroys his relationship with Julia and exposes his hypocrisy to the congregation.
- Expelling the walkout participants: This is a last-ditch attempt to reassert control, but it only further isolates him and strengthens the resolve of the young people.
Theme and Symbol Connections
Pastor Young embodies the theme of religious hypocrisy and the weaponization of faith. He uses scripture to justify cruelty, and his sermons are tools of control rather than sources of comfort. He is also central to the theme of queer identity and the struggle for self-acceptance within a hostile religious community, as his teachings force Julia and Riley to hide their feelings and ultimately lead to their public outing.
The seven deadly sins serve as a lens for moral questioning, and Pastor Young is the authority who defines them as absolute. Riley's plan to commit each sin and document the positive outcomes is a direct challenge to his worldview. His insistence on the sins as "one-way tickets to hell" is contrasted with Riley's discovery that they can be nuanced and even beneficial.
Pastor Young also represents the institutional church that Riley and others must reject in order to find authentic faith beyond institutional religion. His failure to offer grace or forgiveness—despite his sermons about it—drives the young people to seek a more personal, compassionate spirituality.
Finally, the walkout is a powerful symbol of solidarity and collective resistance against oppression. Pastor Young's attempt to shame one person unites a group of friends who refuse to let him divide them. Their collective action reveals that his power is only as strong as their willingness to obey.
Questions and Answers
1. Why does Pastor Young read Julia's prayer book during the service?
Pastor Young reads the prayer book to publicly shame the writer into confessing and repenting. He believes this will reinforce his authority and demonstrate the consequences of sin. He likely assumes the book belongs to Riley, whom he sees as a bad influence, but it is actually Julia's. His goal is to expose and humiliate, not to offer grace.
2. How does Pastor Young manipulate Riley at camp?
He uses a combination of charm, guilt, and threats. He welcomes her warmly, then reminds her of her family's "sins." He warns her against being a "bad influence" and implies he will report her to her principal if she doesn't comply. He also tries to convince her to rejoin his congregation, framing it as a spiritual need rather than a power play.
3. What is Pastor Young's relationship with his daughter Julia?
Pastor Young loves Julia but expects her to embody his ideals without question. He uses her as a symbol of his success as a pastor, and he is blind to her inner struggles. When he reads her prayer book, he betrays her trust and reveals that his need for control outweighs his love for her. This act destroys their relationship and forces Julia to choose between her father and her own identity.
4. How does Pastor Young's treatment of Hannah affect Riley?
Pastor Young publicly shamed Hannah after her abortion, which caused the Ackerman family to leave the church. Riley is deeply angry about this, and it fuels her desire for revenge. She sees Pastor Young as the embodiment of the hypocrisy that hurt her sister, and her plan to expose him is partly an attempt to vindicate Hannah.
5. Does Pastor Young change by the end of the novel?
No. After the walkout, he continues to preach, though some congregants question him. He expels the walkout participants but shows no remorse or self-reflection. The novel suggests that his authority is weakened, but his character remains unchanged. He is a static antagonist, representing the institutional resistance to change.
For a deeper look at how Pastor Young's actions drive the story's conclusion, see the ending explained page, or explore the questions and answers for more discussion.