Written by Daniel Stegeman, director of pastoral care with Fruitful Vine Ministry.
I was confronted with the question of church dress early in ministry. While I wasn’t exactly dressing down, my attire was on the casual side. That’s what aligned with most folks attending my church. But after a godly older woman in our church called me out for wearing shorts, I began to change my mind.
Many of us don’t give church dress much thought. We often don’t value corporate worship like we do a formal dinner. Yet worshiping God is the Christian’s supreme duty and privilege. There are occasions when we do dress up—weddings, funerals, dinner parties. Why? Because we want our dress to align with the significance we attach to that moment. There’s a long tradition of Christians dressing up for church, and they do so for that same reason. They don’t want a casual view of church to be reflected in casual dress.
In my recent article, I share more of why I changed my mind. While I don’t believe this is an issue for God-honoring Christians to divide over, it’s worth thinking more about.
—Daniel
