{"id":15885,"date":"2026-01-09T04:56:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T04:56:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=15885"},"modified":"2026-01-09T04:56:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T04:56:49","slug":"jamal-bryant-slammed-for-buying-wife-flesh-colored-gala-dress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=15885","title":{"rendered":"Jamal Bryant slammed for buying wife flesh-colored gala dress"},"content":{"rendered":"


By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, January 07, 2026<\/span>Pastor Jamal Bryant (R) and his new wife Karri Turner (L) at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., on Sunday October 26, 2025.<\/span> | YouTube\/New Birth Mbc<\/span><\/p>\n

Christian leaders and influencers are speaking out about the dress that megachurch Pastor Jamal Bryant bought for his wife to wear to a gala event last month, sparking debate about how Christians should present themselves in public.<\/p>\n

Bryant, an outspoken progressive activist who leads the New Birth Missionary Baptist church in Georgia, defended the dress in a New Year’s Eve sermon.<\/p>\n

But during his sermon on Sunday, Bishop Patrick Wooden, who leads the Upper Room Church of God in Christ in Raleigh, North Carolina, weighed in on the debate over the dress Karri Bryant wore at the 42nd Annual United Negro College Fund Mayor’s Masked Ball on Dec. 20 and Bryant’s unapologetic response.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A video and photo montage of the gala that Karri Bryant shared on her Instagram on Dec. 21 shows her wearing a flesh-colored gown with a black lace overlay, which critics argue gave the illusion that the pastor\u2019s wife was nearly nude.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wooden began by thanking the Lord for his wife, Pamela Wooden, adding that she dresses like a \u201cfirst lady [of the church].\u201d\u00a0The pastor declared that the \u201clowering of standards is amazing.”<\/p>\n

\u201cA preacher presented his wife the other day, in what you could call a flesh-colored dress,\u201d Wooden said during his sermon. \u201cIt\u2019s a black dress and flesh-colored. It gives the illusion that she\u2019s not wearing anything underneath.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard the preacher when he defended her dress by saying, first of all, he bought the dress. And then he said, \u2018I want to address people who don\u2019t know anything, who haven\u2019t been anywhere, who don\u2019t know anything,\u2019\u201d the Upper Room Church leader stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I guess our objection to a man of the cloth presenting his wife in public looking like a two-dollar whore \u2026 two, at least two,\u201d the bishop added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wooden clarified that his statement was not about Karri Bryant, but about Jamal Bryant\u2019s claim that he had purchased the gown for his wife. Jamal Bryant made the statement about buying the gown for his wife during a Dec. 31 service at the New Birth.<\/p>\n

Jamal Bryant said his wife’s dress “was not see-through” but rather “flesh color.”<\/p>\n

“But insecure, jealous, petty, small-minded people got in their feelings and set up a false barometer of holiness based off of a dress,” Jamal Bryant declared.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I bought the dress, and I like it,” Bryant added. “I don’t care whether you like it or not. She ain’t married to you all. She married to me.”<\/p>\n

Wooden, however, argues that he does not know of a greater way to demean one\u2019s wife than buying an outfit for her like the one that Karri Bryant wore to the fundraising gala.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get a husband, the husband don’t want his wife to look like she’s on display,\u201d the bishop declared. \u201cNo, he wants his wife to be \u2026 respected.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rock Leach, a Bible teacher and host of the Social Fire eChurch YouTube channel, discussed the issue on his channel earlier this week, emphasizing that \u201coptics\u201d are important, especially for a pastor and his wife.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause whether we like it or not, people watch before they listen. That hasn’t changed. People going to watch you before they listen,\u201d Leach stated. \u201cScripture tells us to be above reproach. And that doesn’t stop at the pulpit or the platform. It extends to presentation, posture, and how you dress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cModesty isn’t about being outdated or boring. It’s about not distracting from the message with the messenger,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

Leach asserts that a pastor\u2019s wife wearing a dress like Karri Bryant’s could shift attention \u201cfrom Christ to the flesh.\u201d He warned that such a distraction not only undermines the credibility of a pastor\u2019s wife but also that of the ministry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you represent the Gospel publicly, how you show up visually should point people to holiness, not confusion,\u201d Leach argued.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sherri Shepherd, the host of the daytime talk show \u201cSHERRI,\u201d also devoted time to discussing the controversy during an episode of her show. While the host noted that Karri Bryant\u2019s dress at the gala was flesh-colored, not see-through, she questioned whether the outfit was appropriate for a pastor\u2019s wife.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shepherd complimented Karri Bryant, calling her \u201cbrilliant,\u201d and noted that she follows the pastor\u2019s wife on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI just don’t know where the illusion of nudity fits in with being a first lady,\u201d the talk show host said. \u201cI mean, I, you know, for me, I feel like there’s certain things that you don’t expect from certain people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shepherd said she would expect to see celebrities like Cardi B, Jennifer Lawrence or Lizzo wear a dress like Bryant’s, not a pastor\u2019s wife.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The host likened the situation to a time when she went \u201ceverywhere braless\u201d after having undergone a breast reduction, which she stopped after friends reminded her that, as a daytime talk show host, she shouldn\u2019t appear in public like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when I thought about it, \u2026 I have a responsibility,\u201d Shepherd explained. \u201cI’m a talk show host. I got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at:\u00a0samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter:\u00a0@Samantha_Kamman<\/a><\/p>\n