Is There A Pentecostal Dress Code?

[berb]

Is There?

 

[Jillymac]

Not that i know of!

 

[TwistrAndy]

Depends on the church. If you are in a Oneness Church you can count on a dress code. If your in a trinitarian Pentecostal Church then you've got about 40% of going into a strict church. I am in a strict church, and we believe in a standard of dress, and living a holy life as best as we can through the power of the Holy Ghost. If you don't know the dress code then just post back and say, and I'll explain it to you, and the scriptures that the Bible says on the subject.

 

[aaron91]

In many Pentecostal Churches, including mine there is not a strict dress code. However at Church we don't wear shorts, but I believe that we can dress however we want outside of Church, but it's respectful to dress presentful in front of your brothers and sisters. More important than dress in my church is the finding of the Holy Spirit rather than your dress. Hope that helped you out, thanks!

 

[absolutely_lost_86]

there is none in my church

 

[berb]

Yes, I'd like to know which churches have dress codes. I heard of a little girl not too long ago that said she couldn't wear shorts because of the church she went to (United Pentecostal). I raised my eyebrow and thought, "That sounds legalistic". What if some girl only had a decent pair of shorts and a button down shirt? Would she be barred from church? I have heard other stories too of people being harshly criticized and told not to come back to church for hairstyles.

 

[TwistrAndy]

The Oneness Pentecostals believe in strict dress code, that would be: United Pentecostal Church, and Apostolic. (excluding the New Apostolic). Then you have the Trinitarian Pentecostals who some believe in dress code and some don't. I am Church of God, and we believe in dress code, but we would never tell a visitor or a new person to leave because of the way they looked, and when they joined the church if they didn't have decent clothes, the church would help them out on it, and take up a special offering for a "special need" as the pastor says.

 

[Heinrich]

How can you define a pentecostal dresscode?
Aint the question what God would think?

My personal opinion (and I think it is atleast partly biblical) is that one should dress modestly. By this I do not say I'm against a fancy dress or something!!!!!
The basic idea is this:
If a girl dress in a way that activates lust demons in all the guys that sees her then she is out of line.
Girls please. Men are not that stupid! If you're pretty we will notice! You don't have to walk around half naked. And also these fashions going around where everybody's tummy stick out is just plain stupid!

 

[JesusFreak78]

I think that your faith is more important than how you dress yourself.

 

[onelamb]

We need to dress modestly as Christians-dress code or no-that is what the Bible says. However, the dress of a Christian should not change because he/she is in church. We are to be modest in dress no matter where we are. -and what is modest changes with the culture we live in. The church I attend is Assembly of God-and that's the only "dress code" we have. So-we do have people coming to church in shorts. Nothing wrong with that. However, if God tells you not to do it then don't.

 

[kidsminister]

I go to an A/G church as well...

Our church doesn't have a dress code. Most people who come dress modestly enough...we have a few teenage boys who need to be reminded from time to time not to "sag" their pants so far down that we can see their underwear, or girls who come wearing belly shirts.

But as far as the nitpicky stuff goes...I wear pants, I have short hair and earrings (two in each ear!), I wear makeup...and I'm the children's pastor!!

I suppose it varies from church to church. I don't think I could deal with a church who puts that much of an emphasis out outward appearance!!

 

[Jesusong]

It will depend on your particular church and its pastor. Most churches want its people to dress modestly. In my church (AG) the rules apply to members only, no shorts, and skirts must be below the knee, women can wear pants to church. If one is ministering up on the platform, or as an usher, skirts or dresses below the knee for the women, and men shirt & tie.

 

[Grl4Christ987]

My church has a dress code, but it's not as bad as some I've heard. This is the girls dress code:

1.) Shirts must be at a decent length(it must not show our belly area and no spaghetti straps or sleeveless)
2.) Shorts have to come to 1 1/2 handwidth above the knee
3.) Pants can't be too tight.
4.) No shorts on Sunday services, but we are allowed to wear pants.
5.) NO low cut shirts.

I think that's about it, if I think of anymore, I'll edit. The guys dress code isn't really all that strict. The pants just have to fit properly, i.e. not hanging off the backside. And no offensive shirts, obviously.

 

[TwistrAndy]

If we are not to worry about outward appearance then what do you do when you read 1 Timothy and 1 Peter when jewelry, and extravagent clothing and broided hair are not to be worn, and that we do not focus on the outward adornment, but our beauty is to be on the inside. We tend to push those verses away, and refuse to accept it.

 

[maitiu]

It doesn't make a difference what you wear - all it says is to be modest. Basically I take that, as not coming in your bra/boxers and showing yourself off! Just having respect for your body! One can of course judge what is 'respectable' or not - but times change.. back in Biblical times all they wore was a cloth around them.. but they didn't have to change to go into church - God sees our insides; if we go naked, but still have the heart.. that's all God cares about (but I don't think the congregation would be quite so jolly at that sight!)

Matt

 

[TwistrAndy]

Yep, it says to be modest, and then it describes what modesty is.... which according to Paul in 1 Timothy and 1 Peter, wearing clothing that doesn't call attention to ourselves, which (according to the Bible) is the wearing of gold, pearls, broided hair and extravagant clothing. It cleary says we are to avoid those things, and this will show in women who profess godliness by their meek and quite spirit.

All of that is in the Bible.

 

[pentecostalgirl0414]

In our church, the women wear skirts below the knee. However, if you participate in an activity that requires you to be on the alter/platform, our pastor likes for you skirt to be as close to you ankles as possible. We do not cut our hair either. Some may think that this is strict, but I don't really mind. But if a woman for instance came in pants and a tight shirt or something, nothing would be said. We welcome all people and don't judge on their dress. If they decide to join, then they just wear what they have. If they need help, the church helps. We just have to dress modest. We have a service on Wednesday nights as well as Friday nights that are casual. Such as a blue jean skirt for the ladies and a pair of jeans for the guys. We also dress casual for practice for church activites. But on Sunday morning and night services, it is more fancy. That is just how it is at my church. Just thought I would include my input.

 

[Verv]

I do not think that legalistic stances on the issue are necessary; it has never been much of a problem for me when I attend Church. I believe in being rather comfortable, though never disrespectful -- I do not wear a tie to church, but I definitely do not wear the sort of clothes I would lounge about in after work or go out on the town in. I feel as if wearing khakis or pants with a polo is good, but enforcing as much, I do not know about that.

I feel that it is the Inside that counts, and that clothes is a mere covering for us; to overemphasize as much is foolish.

But on the other hand, to wear sexual clothing to church would be a disgrace to the Church. The answer I think is, as usual, somewhere inbetween.

 

[Izzy23]

I go to an A/G church as well...

Our church doesn't have a dress code. Most people who come dress modestly enough...we have a few teenage boys who need to be reminded from time to time not to "sag" their pants so far down that we can see their underwear, or girls who come wearing belly shirts.

But as far as the nitpicky stuff goes...I wear pants, I have short hair and earrings (two in each ear!), I wear makeup...and I'm the children's pastor!!

I suppose it varies from church to church. I don't think I could deal with a church who puts that much of an emphasis out outward appearance!!

Agree! We need to have respect when we enter the House of the Lord. I've been to churches which were so liberal I would never go back but as long as we are appropriate, God is good.

Izzy

 

[Father Rick]

To offer a little different perspective on this whole conversation...

When missionaries first went into some of the more 'primitive' areas of Africa, the villagers they encountered wore little or no clothing at all. This was the custom of that culture and no one thought anything about it being immodest. Well, one of the first things that the missionaries did was to insist that the women start wearing skirts and blouses so that they would be 'modest'. It didn't take very long at all before they realized that was a BAD idea. The sight of the women covered caused all kind of lust problems in the men of the village--since they were now using their imaginations to try to figure out what was under those skirts. The missionaries literally had to go take back the clothing from the women and tell them to go back to being nude, or wearing only a loincloth.

My point is that every culture has different views of what is/is not modest. Even within a particular culture those standards change with time. Not long ago, it was standard practice for men to wear wigs, makeup, and high-heels (ever look at any paintings from the 1700's?) Obviously that standard has changed significally. In Great Britain it is still considered normal for a man to wear a skirt (kilt) to formal events. In some cultures today, if a woman's hair is not completely covered so that none of it is seen at all then she is considered promiscuous and in some cultures the only thing allowed to be seen of a woman is her eyes--to show any more could get her stoned.

Well then, how in the world does one interpret scripture regarding these kinds of issues when there are so many cultures and they constantly change?

The first thing we do is find out what was written to a particular group of people in scripture. Then we look for the 'eternal principle'-- the real meaning of what was being said that applies to ALL people of ALL time and not just that particular group. Then we look to see how to apply that principle in our day and culture.

In scripture we see a culture where the only women who wore short hair (actually their heads were shaved many times) were temple prostitutes. Paul writes to that church and tell them for the women to not do something that would make them be confused for a prostitute. (He also ends the passage saying that it is not a 'law'). Well, the eternal principle from that should be obvious-- don't look like a prostitute (whatever that may mean in your particular culture).

There is a passage in the OT that says a woman shouldn't wear a man's clothing and vice versa. Well, in India women wear under their sari and men frequently wear a long wrap around their waist that look like a skirt. We've already mentioned that men used to be the ones who wore high heels, not women. How do we apply this eternal principle? It will apply differently in all the world. I would say that women should go to the women's department of the store and buy whatever they sell there and men should go to the men's department and buy whatever is there.

Finally --passages about being adorned with godliness rather than with gold and braided hair. The emphasis here is not to do things that make you 'stand out' and draw attention to yourself, as someone already has said. Unfortunately, many Christians today take pride that they do 'stand out' by the 'holiness' way the dress. By taking many of these issues to such an extreme, I would say that many of them have actually broken the intent of the passage.

Now I will be the first to agree that Christians are to be different from those that don't know Christ yet. But that difference is to be first and foremost an inner difference-- a difference of heart, a difference of spirit. We are to walk in love, in peace, in joy. Jesus railed against the religious leaders of his day that were 'white-washed sepulchres filled with dead men's bones'. They took great pride on how 'godly' they looked on the outside but had missed the point completely. Just so I'm not misunderstood, most of those I know in the 'holiness' camps really love the Lord and are trying to live for Him. But so many times, I feel they have gotten sidetracked with some of the minor issues and made them such a big deal that they are actually harming their witness-- not helping it.