A member of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Esther Onyelu, has responded to critics who accused her of adopting a “worldly” appearance after sharing photos of herself wearing her long natural hair.
Onyelu posted the photos on Facebook, where some users questioned her appearance, arguing that her hairstyle resembled a weave and was inappropriate for a Deeper Life member.
One commenter reminded her of her church membership and criticised her appearance, suggesting that she should not wear a weave or dress in the manner shown in the pictures.
In response, Onyelu questioned the criticism, pointing out that her outfit covered her body modestly and that her hair was natural.
However, some critics continued to fault her hairstyle, arguing that she had arranged her natural hair in a manner they considered worldly. Others urged her to be “humble” about her hair.
Reacting to the comments, Onyelu expressed disbelief that wearing her natural hair in its current state could attract such criticism.
“So leaving my natural hair like this is in a worldly way?” she asked.
She also questioned the apparent expectation that women should avoid looking beautiful to conform to certain religious standards.
“It’s the ‘why would she look beautiful in the first place for me?’”
“So you mean, we are expected to look stressed and unhappy?”
“Please, how did we get here?” she added.
Her response has drawn attention to differing views among Christians about modesty, personal appearance and the interpretation of church standards, particularly regarding women’s hairstyles and dressing.
