A group of women from Makambako Town Council in Tanzania’s Njombe Region have spoken out after a pastor allegedly barred them from entering a church during their close friend’s wedding, telling them their clothes were unacceptable.
Where was the wedding held?
The women had gathered at TAG Kivavi Church, which was being used as a wedding venue after the morning service, wearing saris they had specially commissioned for the occasion.
According to the women, the trouble started when Pastor Raphael Migodela arrived and confronted them about their attire shortly before the photo session.
One of the women, Mariam Lutumo, said the experience left her deeply hurt, particularly because the bride is someone close to her.
Mariam Lutumo speaks after confrontation with pastor
“My name is Mariam Lutumo, but what happened today has really hurt me. If you look at us, we had practised all week. We woke up at 5am, went to the salon and dressed up because our goal was to make our friend’s event beautiful, but when we got there, the pastor chased us away,” she said.
Lutumo also addressed what she described as a misunderstanding about faith and dress. “God does not look at clothes. God is in my heart, and it is not about my character. God looks at my heart,” she added.
Another woman in the group said the manner in which the pastor addressed them compounded the hurt.
Pastor allegedly calls women “worldly people”
She claimed he referred to them as “worldly people” and told the bride directly, “Those people of yours are worldly. I don’t want to see them in my church.”
The women said they felt there was neither wisdom nor courtesy in how the situation was handled, especially given that they had spent a month rehearsing and had paid for their outfits themselves.
Speaking by phone, Pastor Migodela confirmed the incident took place but pushed back on the characterisation that he expelled the women from the celebration.
Pastor Migodela speaks after confronting ladies
He said the women had arrived at the church wearing modest, culturally appropriate clothing during the service, but later changed into different outfits that he considered unsuitable, not only for a church setting but by general Tanzanian cultural standards.
“Essentially, they were not chased out of the church after the photo session. They took pictures with the bride, and I simply advised them, ‘My dear ones, those clothes are not appropriate for wearing in church, so please change them. Once you have changed, come back to church so that you can continue with your relative’s wedding celebration,'” he said.
The pastor added that when some of the women claimed they had no other clothes, he reminded them they had arrived wearing different outfits, which he felt indicated a deliberate choice rather than a genuine lack of options.
