Images show Bishop Charles H Ellis III holding Ariana high above her waist, with his fingers squeezed around the side of the singer's chest.
"It would never be my intention to touch any woman's breast," he told the Associated Press.
"Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar."
He added: "But again, I apologise."
The preacher said he hugged all artists, male or female, during the ceremony commemorating the Queen of Soul.
But viewers began posting images from the service when Ariana got up to sing Aretha's song (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. Many people felt that Bishop Ellis's hand was inappropriately high on the 25-year-old's body as he spoke to her - saying that she looked uncomfortable with the contact.
It came as others on social media had been criticising Ariana for what she was wearing to the church service, saying her dress was too short.
Some people said that the focus being on Ariana, rather than the bishop, was misogynistic.
But acts like does not want to be treated like whore. She's attention whore, like all women.
Nolan Perez
This is the state of Weimerica.
A nigger openly fondling the breasts of a goblina on national tv is now acceptable.
Logan Jackson
That's a resting hug. Because of their height difference he'd either have to hug her shoulder which would be weird, or damn near squat/get closer to her to put his hand on her waist, which she's clearly avoiding in that picture.
Parker Wood
That's not just any goblina. That's a goblina whose entire career is training younger goblinas to be whores from a young age.
Luis Long
No minister! That isn't a little boy in your choir class!
Angel Price
check the catalog, faggot
Austin Jenkins
Tits? What tits?
Adrian Martin
It's spelled TITTY
any man who spells it 'tittie' never gets any pussy……..
Sorry, but it's true…
Jace Jackson
Look
Ive
Spotted
The
Homosexuals
Christian Bell
Thank G-d
Gabriel Mitchell
Homosexuals are against women making bogus claims? Kind of surprised, I would think you'd be the last person to support the feminist "everything is sexual harassment" agenda. I'm starting to think that you have been less than truthful about your own boasting.
Parker Torres
Only homosexuals spell it "titty". Real men spell it "TITTAY"
Did he snap his finger past the gusset of her panties to tickle her butthole up to the knuckle then suck on his finger like a little boy sampling some delicious cake batter in the kitchen?
I know I sure as hell would have.
Matthew Gomez
Personally I find the entire idea of niggers being "bishops" and getting all religious and shit to be absolutely hilarious.
Levi Fisher
Hey he was wearing a clerical collar so it's OK
Elijah Robinson
It depends on the context.
if it's "she's from the little bitty titty committee" then it's correct
If it's "Lindsay Lohan, she's got them bigassed tiddayz" then that's correct too.
Evan Moore
Calling a fine peece a ass like this bootiful spic a globina?
Anti-church psyop. This person (Grande) has been at the center of other, much larger psyopsManchester Arena fake terror attack, so a "titty grab" is nothing.
Camden Howard
I'm surprised they even had a white girl singing there. You would have thought that the black cuh-myeu-neh-tayh would have put their foot down and only allowed real negro spiritual singers to perform.
