A youth pastor in the US has been suspended after reportedly giving out stickers to students that read: 'I (heart) hot youth pastors'. 

Cory Wall from Fairview Baptist Church in South Carolina was placed on administrative leave after a social media post by someone who claimed their 14-year-old sister had received the sticker.

The church, which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, has confirmed Wall will not be involved in student leadership while it conducts an investigation. 

In a statement, the church said: "Our student pastor, Cory Wall, acknowledges that he made a poor decision and a mistake by making a sticker available that was offensive to some.

"Cory has been placed on administrative leave and will not be involved in student leadership responsibilities while this situation is being investigated. There will be a thorough and comprehensive investigation." 

On Monday, Wall no longer appeared in the staff section of the church's website. 

The statement continued: "We take this matter very seriously and want to be proactive as we move forward. Our main goal is to always make our campus a safe place for anyone who attends.

"This decision was made by our deacon officers and personnel team in keeping with our by-laws and personnel procedures. If questions, please contact them.

"We will keep you updated as the process moves forward," it concluded. 

The sticker's backlash comes as churches across the world are facing sexual abuse scandals, including the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant Christian denomination in the United States.