Sword swallowing is a 'demonic' act to 'seduce men', says pastor after America's Got Talent daredevil was invited to perform fiery act at Missouri megachurch in front of shocked congregants

A pastor has denounced an America's Got Talent sword swallower as a 'Jezebel' trying to 'seduce men' after his daredevil performance at a megachurch men's convention.

Alex Magala performed his daring act at the Stronger Men's Conference in Missouri, on April 11 driving a motorbike on stage, ripping off his shirt, swallowing a sword and sliding down a 40ft pole while flames erupted behind him. 

But not everyone in the congregation enjoyed the America's Got Talent star's act, with a follow-up speaker, Pastor Mark Driscoll, denouncing it as demonic. 

Addressing the crowd, Driscoll said Magala had 'the Jezebel spirit to seduce men' and 'ripped his shirt off like a woman does in front of a pole at a strip club.' 

The pastor of the host James River Church, John Lindell, then stepped in, ordering Driscoll off stage, telling him he was 'out of line' and defending Magala as a married family man. 

Alex Magala was invited to perform at the Stronger Men's Conference - which 'exists to empower and motivate men to live out God’s view of manhood' - on April 11 alongside well known religious figures and acts. 

His performance went off without a hitch, the daredevil rode a motorbike on stage then produced a sword from a microphone stand and swallowed it down with a flourish of his wrist. 

He then proceeded to scale a 40ft pole and slide down it head first at speed, all with the sword still down his throat, stopping just inches from the ground. He stopped, arms out in a cross position, while flame machines went off behind him. 

The act won him international acclaim on both Britain's and America's Got Talent, where he made it to the finals and quarter finals respectively, but some in the crowd at the James River megachurch were harder to win over. 

One of the next speakers at the conference, Pastor Mark Driscoll from the Trinity Church in Arizona, took to the stage and denounced his performance, saying: 'Before the word of God was open, there was a platform. It was a high place.

'On it was a pole, an Asherah. The same thing that's used in a strip club for women who have the Jezebel spirit to seduce men. In front of that was a man who ripped his shirt off like a woman does in front of a pole at a strip club.'

Organiser, Pastor Lindell, then called Driscoll off the stage, telling him he was 'out of line' for criticizing Magala. 

Lindell later published a full rebuke of Driscoll, saying: 'We are calling you to publicly repent for refusing to stop the spread of lies regarding Alex Magala, a Christian brother. 

'Yes, Alex, like many Christians, has a past, but he has been made a new creation. He's been made a new creation through his faith in Jesus Christ.'

In his speech on stage, Driscoll was in part referring to Magala's previous stint working in strip clubs. 

Magala grew up poor in Moldova and moved to the US for a better life. 

He told DailyMail.com in 2016: 'My childhood dream was to get a bicycle and I never got it. Everything that I achieved, I achieved by myself without any help.'

When he arrived in the US he couldn't get a job and he started stripping make ends meet, he said: 'I am here performing for people and I think it's totally legit. I have an impeccable reputation. I never drink, am never late. I work 100 percent, hard.'

After a video of his performance and the ensuing backlash was shared online, supporters flocked to Magala. 

One wrote on Instagram: 'I'm sorry you were shoved into the center of something that should've been handled with more respect and grace from both sides.' 

Another said: 'Not sure it's appropriate for a church setting, but if you were invited that's on them.' 

After the conference, Magala took to social media to defend himself and slammed Driscoll for criticizing his past work as a dancer in strip clubs. 

He said: 'I wanted to offer Pastor Mark Driscoll to move into a country on another side of the planet, like China, or Russia that he never been before, that he has almost zero knowledge of the language, zero friends, zero family, and $60 in his pocket and see how he is gonna make it.'

He added: 'I know my way of expressing my faith is different. And let me explain just like real quick … that's how I see it. 

'When I perform, I swallow a sword and attempting a death-defying stunt, climbing on top of the pole, and then going upside down. 

'The moment when I dropped down, that to me, is when I give my life to God. And the moment when I stopped one inch before hitting the ground, that's the moment when I get saved by God.'