Dressed to kill in Church: A service or disservice?

In her green emerald v-neck linen dress that clings perfectly to her African figure, her crop dazzling earrings completing the stunning look, she walks in her sling-back open toed shoes that make a little, distracting noise as she takes short but decisive quick steps towards her seat in the front row, passing lines of well arranged benches now fully occupied by other church members.

Behind her is a man with a sturdy, compact body who is neatly dressed in a well comfort fit American cut suit along with black polished shoes, walking in sharp but steady steps. Indeed, they look too stunning for your normal churchgoers.

For 28-year-old Erica Ngowi and David Shio, 32, that is what church has come to mean since they made the decision to give their lives to Christ and become members of the Lutheran Church.

Looking good, being at their best always, smelling divine and driving a nice car matters a lot to them – apparently a lot more than their spiritual life. At their church, you decide to appear plain at the risk of looking like an outcast among fellow members.

Apparently, dressing counts a lot most in today’s church.

For ages, the Church has been going through a lot of changes. And one glaring change is how churchgoers have been influenced by today’s fashion trends.

Long ago, churchgoers used to adorn themselves in plain clothes, apparently obeying the Apostle Paul’s order for “women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” (1 Timothy 2:9-10).

In the old days, Christian women used to prioritise the “unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” as Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:2-5. Then, church was more of matter of the heart than the body.

It was more of decent dresses or skirts and veils for women and pressed suits for men than the mini-skirts, pants and well designed suits we see today.

Nothing wrong with looking good in church. But why has dressing become so much of a preoccupation in today’s church?

For Erica, how one dresses for church should not worry people because it’s part of the freedom that comes with being a child of God.

“The Word of God clearly states we must not judge others by the way they look because God does not see in the way people do,” she says quoting 1 Samuel 16:7 that says, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

She says wearing expensive clothes or not should not be a cause for concern because “at the end of the day God will judge us based on the good deeds we did while still alive.”

“Personally, I love to look good whether or not I am going to church. Fashionable high heels, beautiful blouses and gowns are part of my life. Even when it comes to my hair, I will go for latest hairstyles and I do not think there is anything wrong with that,” says Erica.

However, she says there is a problem when Christians pay more attention to dress than worshipping God.

Crossing the line

Grace Njau, a member of the Roman Catholic Church in Kibamba, also believes that there is nothing wrong with people who come to church in stunning dresses, as long as they do not cross the ‘fashion line’.

“For some of us it is the only chance to wear nice clothes. I work in a bank where I will be in uniform from Monday to Saturday. So, Sunday is the only day that I have to look my best,” says the 30-year-old.

But she is quick to explain that looking stunning must not necessarily mean making other church members uncomfortable.

As a Catholic, she is aware that there is a difference between dressing well and ‘inappropriate’ dressing in church.

“For instance in our church, the Association of Catholic Women came up with rules of dressing that forbid people to wear clothes, which show their backs and or mini skirts,” she explains.

Yet for others, mini skirts are not a taboo in church. Some women, young and old, come to church dressed in thigh-revealing minis and see-through dresses that leave nothing to the imagination.

A visit to the nearest church may not disappoint. Singing and dancing, they seem to be oblivious to the discomfort of fellow church members.

“The Christian walk is very much like a man driving on a journey, and there are road rules; if you fail to obey just one of the rules, it can be the cause of a fatal accident. That is the situation we are in,” says Pastor Lawi Mwankunga of the Moravian Church in Morogoro.

He explains that dressing is key to who a Christian is because the human body, as the Bible notes, is the temple of the Lord.

Father Titus Ngapemba of the Department of Communication, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mwanza agrees. He says: “The type of dress we put on speaks volumes about our culture as Christians. If we go to Church knowing our God, we would have a little respect.”

Men are not left behind. They wear what is now called slim fit suits, skinny jeans and eye-popping short trousers.

“There are a group of Christians who have lost focus. They misquote and twist the Word of God to suit their desires, you can see that in the whole issue of dress code,” says Sela Victor, a marriage counsellor in Dar es Salaam commonly known as ‘Mama Victor’.

She argues that the Bible is very clear on what makes appropriate dressing for church, but people have a tendency to twist the Word when they are no comfortable with what it says about a particular issue.

“Paul is unequivocal on the issue of dressing. In Romans 12:1-2, he urges Christians to ‘offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’,” she says.

No more self-respect

‘Mama Victor’ says the way people dress in church today leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to self-respect. “I don’t see much of it (self-respect) in church today. If you cannot respect the House of God, then there is every reason to doubt your relationship with the true God,” says the marriage counsellor.

Evangelist Cosmas Nchimbi, Youth Development Coordinator of The Evangelistic Assemblies of God Tanzania (EAGTCC), also quotes 1 Timothy 2:9 which urges women to dress modestly for church.

“God expects a woman to dress in a proper fashion— certainly not in a provocative or excessive way. I believe Christians are expected to be an example to those around them,” he says.

The problem, he explains, is the battle for numbers among different ministries, which have come with the relaxation of rules pertaining to key issues like dressing in church.

He says some ministries tend to be more accommodating of freedom of choice and self-expression when it comes to dressing because that attracts many young, fashion-conscious followers.

“If you are afraid of losing members, you allow them to do as they will, and this is wrong,” says Evangelist Nchimbi.

In most cases, it is the skimpily dressed women sitting in the front row, with their legs crisscrossed while the pastor is preaching.

In other churches, however, there is still a sense of sanity when it comes to dressing.

Juliana Malondo, a member of the Pool of Siloam Church in Mbezi Beach, says they come to church all dressed in white.

“We simply follow what Jesus did; he always wore white clothes that was a sign of holiness, that’s why even in our church we do the same as born again Christians our hearts have been saved, so the white clothes symbolise purity,” she says.

Apart from that, Juliana argues that having modest attire or uniforms helps to bring equality among the church members, between the haves and have-nots,” she explains.