FASHION GLORY
Dressing up for Easter Sunday is rooted in centuries of tradition, not theology, but for some it’s still spiritual
From the days of early Christians, fancy Easter Sunday clothes have been a cosmetic commemoration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Now, much as then, churchgoers don social media post-worthy outfits such as frills, lace, head-turning hats, stylish suits and dresses as well as color coordinated looks for the whole family.
While weekly church fashion varies depending on the place of worship, Easter ensembles are historically rooted in centuries of customs and norms, not religious theology or tenets.
Two Baltimore churches, Rehoboth Ministries Church of God in Christ and Central Christian Assembly, have very different approaches when it comes to Sunday style, but according to the spiritual leaders, dressing up for church, in general, is all about cultural expectations.
“My best friend and I often tease each other because our church culture is so different. We serve the same God, believe in the same doctrine, but she wears jeans on Sundays and I wear a sequined gown (not really, but kind of ),” said Kimberli Thomas, director of Children’s Ministry at Rehoboth Ministries .
Bishop William E. McMillan, Jr.,
founder and senior pastor of Rehoboth Ministries, said he leads by example in how he dresses for church every Sunday.
“I believe that the people of God should look their very best when they go to worship. However, our fashion should not be to draw attention or cause us to lose focus on our primary purpose and that is to share the love of Jesus Christ,” said Bishop McMillian, who is often pictured on social media in three-piece tailored suits or traditional bishops’ garb, such as a purple clerical shirt and collar.
‘Looking good for Jesus’
For Thomas, who is Bishop McMillan’s daughter, dressing up for Sunday service is steeped in family traditions as well as African American heritage.
“As early as I can remember, church clothes were a thing. Whenever my
parents or grandmother would take me shopping, we were either getting play clothes, school clothes or church clothes,” said Thomas.
“We honored Sunday and gave God our best. For the Black church, that includes our dress,” she added.
At Central Christian Assembly, the ethos behind worship style has changed over the past 10 years to a “come as you are,” approach according to the church’s Next Generation Pastor Jonathan Prothero, who often opts for jeans and sneakers.
“It’s a simple take on making sure that we’re not creating more barriers to entry than we need to — that people feel comfortable in their own skin,” said Prothero, who works in church
communications and with congregants ages 13 to 30. “It might sound really superficial to start with an aesthetic like clothing, but actually it’s a first step, and we found it just relaxes people a lot, when they can come in, wearing what they would usually wear.”
Even with varying approaches to Sunday style and culture, there are shared rules when it comes to fashion at both churches.
“Nothing too revealing, nothing too distracting, but [clothing guidelines are] pretty loose in terms of how strict,” Prothero said.
“Nothing is too tight, too high, too
low, too loose, etc.,” said Thomas. “Church fashion is looking good for Jesus with a splash of your personal style.”