Kingsley Okonkwo, the Nigerian relationship counselor and pastor has reacted to the backlash trailing the unveiling of a tattoo on his arm.
As earlier reported by eelive.ng, the founder of David Christian Centre recently shared photos and videos on social media in which the tattoo was clearly visible.
The post quickly sparked widespread reactions online, with opinions sharply divided.
While some supporters applauded the pastor for expressing his individuality and exercising personal freedom, critics questioned the appropriateness of body art for a Christian leader, particularly one known for teaching conservative family values.
Responding to the criticism, Pastor Okonkwo argued that many practices now accepted in Nigerian churches were once considered sinful or unacceptable. He noted that makeup, earrings, jeans, and even certain hairstyles were previously labelled as taboo within the Christian community.
According to him, there was a time when women were barred from attending church without head coverings, while earrings, jewellery and trousers were seen as signs of worldliness.
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He added that eyebrow tattoos, microblading and the use of human hair extensions now common among Christian women are also forms of body modification, yet rarely attract the same level of scrutiny.
The pastor stressed that believers today enjoy freedoms that were fought for by earlier generations, urging critics to seek proper historical context before condemning personal choices.
He maintained that tattoos, like jeans and makeup, should not be used as a measure of a person’s faith or spirituality.
He said partly, “I’m seeing Christian girls, they’re buying human hairs,and they’re buying all that human beings hair, and they’re wearing it to church, and they’re typing, they’re typing on the baton, ou’re wearing all that human beings hair, You don’t know where your origin of Christians in Nigeria.
“You need to go ask questions, ask the older people, that are sincere, not these fake ones, that are sincere, they’ll tell you that even this, your makeup, this, your makeup was a sin just a few years ago. Was it, was it, was sacrilege, was taboo, was, was, was evil. This, your makeup.
“Today, I see people do, they do eyebrow, you don’t know eyebrows tattoo, are you not painting? You are painting now. If you’re painting eyebrows tattoo, some people even do microblading, that’s the permanent one. You are, it’s not tattoo.
“ It’s a form of tattoo. But you’re typing, you’re typing. Do you know this time, if you didn’t wear a scarf, you couldn’t go to church? Some of you don’t know this.
“You couldn’t go to church, but you’re typing. People fought for that liberty and joy. Oh, there are times you couldn’t wear earrings.
“Once you give a letter to Christ, you throw away all your earrings and all your jewelry. (1:06) So if you didn’t notice this today. You’re wearing big earrings and typing. Oh, I pity you.
“I pity, I pity the level of ignorance you’re carrying. You couldn’t wear earrings. You couldn’t, people fought.
“Oh, there were times you couldn’t wear jeans. I hope you know, in this body of Christ, I was here when you couldn’t wear jeans. You wear jeans? Oh, you’re leading many astray, your jeans.
“That’s what people are telling me, that tattoos lead people astray. I said, jeans was leading people astray a few years ago. Today, we’re wearing it.”
