Dear Pastor,

I would like to ask a question of people who believe they can go to church and not dress appropriately.

Would they go to a club dressed in church clothes such as a hat and a suit? Hardly! At my church of worship, if a female visitor comes dressed in pants, we will courteously welcome the visitor, and provide her with a skirt to wear inside. I do not see anything wrong with that.

Most establishments have a dress code or a standard of dress. God's church is no different. Some people do have other respectful, or less revealing attire, that they can wear to church. However, they choose to disrespect God's house. A lot of people are using "come as you are" as a flimsy excuse to do as they please in God's house. That is not right. Keep up the good work.

C.,

Dear C.,

Thanks for informing us how your church handles people who attend, and, in its opinion, are not dressed appropriately for public worship. At the risk of being criticised, I must say I believe that your church is overstepping its bounds when members offer skirts to those who come to worship in pants. What makes a skirt more modest than wearing a pants or pants suit? Why does your church believe it has a right to insult women by offering them skirts? Why make yourselves God? Why judge the heart of people? A woman in a pants might be closer to God than one in a skirt.

Christianity has nothing to do with what one wears to church. It is a spiritual relationship with God, and believers are warned not to judge or condemn others.

Having said the above, let me hasten to say I do believe that people should dress well when they are coming to church. But dressing well does not mean men should wear suits and women dresses at all times. There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that modest apparel means that a woman should always wear skirts. In fact, some Christians who insist that the church must have dress code may drive some non-Christians away from attending church. When people come to know Jesus as their Saviour, they learn how to dress and no one has to tell them what to wear when they are attending church.

Pastor