Sam Rainer has recently written about the kind of clothes a pastor should wear while preaching. You can read the post here. I appreciated the general tone of what was written. He laid down a few lines concerning what tends to impact our decision on what to wear. He wasn’t overly dogmatic and came to a broad you-do-you conclusion, which for what it is worth, I think is about right.
Sam was very clear that he tends towards the dress-up end of the spectrum. That is just who he is. As one who tends toward the dress-down end of the spectrum, I thought it might be worth giving my two penn’orth. You all know I’m on the side of hoodies and snapbacks, so I thought I would just add some other factors when considering what you might wear in the pulpit on Sunday.
No biblical mandate
This is not so much a rule as the key point that underscores all the others. We must recognise that what one wears in the pulpit is not a matter of biblical fidelity. You could note the biblical statement, ‘man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Sam 16:7). You could reckon with the fact that John the Baptist – the man Jesus said was greater than any other man – wore some very strange clothes indeed and it didn’t seem to diminish his work. You could note James’ explicitly telling us not to judge people, particularly on the clothes they are wearing (cf. Jam 2). You could think about Paul’s repeated calls to welcome one another and to stop judging (cf. Rom 14). However you cut it, the Bible does not give us a dress code for the pulpit and it actively tells us not to judge one another over such things. At an absolute minimum, we must reckon with the fact that the Bible does not give us specific directions.
Be yourself
If the first is the golden rule, think of this one as the silver rule. Nothing is quite as embarrassing as the pastor trying to pretend he’s something he’s not. That is true in whatever direction it might occur. I am convinced that the best kind of clothes to wear in the pulpit are the ones that are most evidently you being yourself. That is why I wear hoodies and caps and why I look like a fat-extra from Tony Hawk’s Pro-Skater. That is how I have always dressed (even when I was less fat!) It is both patronising and lame when others, for whom this is evidently not them, try to pretend it is so. You want the guy in the pulpit to be the same guy you speak with in the week. One dressing up or down in a way that comes off as entirely unnatural will make people suspicious about what he is up to and what he is trying to sell. Being naturally yourself is the best antidote to this.
Beware cultural assumptions
It is true that clothes convey something culturally; no question about that. However, it is often assumed that majority culture assumptions about what is being worn are the only assumptions at play. And so, wearing dressier clothes (as per the OP) is often assumed to be a matter of respectability and discipline. It conveys respect for the people and the task at hand. It will be respected by those listening.
The issue is that one man dressed up that way might convey entirely opposing things to different sets of people. For those who think a suit and tie (or some such) convey respectability and discipline, there are others who think such things convey arrogance and a sense of being better than others. For those who find these things comforting and reassuring, there are others who only ever deal with people dressed this way who patronise them or hold them in contempt. By the same token, for all those who think joggers and hoodies are relatable and welcoming there are those who may have had difficult experiences with people dressed this way – they find it intimidating and scary.
My point here isn’t that one way of dressing is right and others are wrong. It is just to beware unspoken assumptions. Be careful that you don’t assume your assumptions, or the assumptions of the tribe/culture you come from, will necessarily be the same assumptions everyone makes. What you think you are conveying by your choice of clothing might not be conveying what you think to others in the room. It is why a) a range of different people preaching is positive, b) being yourself matters and, c) it is impossible to avoid all negative assumptions however you might choose to dress.
It is also worth recognising that certain majority culture assumptions have driven what happens in the church over many decades, even centuries (at least, here in the UK). We need to have room for our cultural assumptions to be challenged if we are to see those from other cultures and backgrounds welcomed in the church.
Clothing choices can be a cause of sin
It is certainly true that one can dress up for altogether ungodly reasons and similarly possible to dress down for ungodly reasons too. It is very easy to seek to cultivate and project an image rather than just aiming to be consciously oneself. Fine clothes can be a means of showing off; casual clothes can also be a matter of showing off. One can be lavish and immodest in a Gucci suit just as it is possible to be lavish and immodest by wearing Jordan trainers. Whatever we chose to wear might be a matter of sinful projection and showing off.
Consider others
I don’t think there is any biblical reason to not wear shorts in the pulpit. But I had a friend who occasionally preached in shorts. He heard from some of the African members of the congregation that this is off-putting for them in their culture. As a result, my friend adjusted what he wore for the sake of the gospel. Not because it would have been wrong to wear shorts, but that if it impeded how he was heard, his rights should be set aside. I often preach in a cap. But I am conscious, in some contexts, that is a problem for people. I don’t wear them to upset anyone and if they are going to be so distracted and dismissive of the Word if I wear one, then I’m happy not to for the sake of the gospel. There are times our rights – what we are free to do biblically – ought to be set aside for the sake of others.
Of course, there are times when pressing on in our freedom will help others to think more carefully. They might be causing other issues by demanding all bow to their cultural preferences, putting unncessary barriers in front of people from other cultures or even judging others unncessarily and unhelpfully because of their cultural choices. Under such circumstances, seeing a preacher buck cultural expectation might be helpful.
The key in working out which is most appropriate is whether you are doing it for their sake or yours. Is this really just a way to do whatever you want or is it really aimed at helping others grow? You may reach different conclusions in different settings with different people. You might wear some things in one setting you wouldn’t in another all because you are genuinely thinking carefully about what will help others. Will it help them grow? Will it help make a largely overseen group feel more welcome and represented? Will it lead to useful conversation or will it just cause unnecessary and pointless argument? These are all factors worth thinking about.