Houston Pastor Refuses To Marry Couple Because Bride’s Dress Was Too Sexy


A pastor at The Truth Ministries Holiness Church in Houston refused to marry a young couple because the bride’s dress was too sexy.

Apostle Michael Canty greeted Lisa Washington and her fiancé an hour before their ceremony on August 10 and, noticing Washington’s skimpy dress, jokingly asked her where the other half of it was. Washington thought nothing of it, but half an hour before the ceremony started, Canty asked her again about the dress. Washington said what she had on was the dress she was planning to wear. Canty told her and her fiancé separately that he would not perform the ceremony unless Washington covered her breasts and added more length to the dress (pictured below on a model, Washington did not provide a picture of her in the dress).

Washington said there wasn’t enough time to alter the dress, and Canty went to his office and refused to marry the couple. At 4:35 pm, more than an hour after the ceremony was supposed to start, guests were told of the reason for the delay. A guest who happened to be a minister offered to officiate the ceremony, but Canty said no. The wedding party pleaded with Canty to change his mind, but he remained unmoved and refused to marry the couple.

There was no wedding that day, much to the outrage of Washington, her fiancé, and their guests.

Washington said she’s “never been more embarrassed,” and she and her fiancé looked into options to recoup the money their families lost as far as travel and other expenses.

Neither Lisa Washington nor her fiancé were members of the church. Holiness churches generally have a very strict dress code and forbid the use of make-up and nail polish, jewelry, and the like. Skirts and dresses have to fall below the knees and shirts typically have to be long-sleeved. Many Holiness churches identify themselves as Pentecostal, which has its roots in the holiness movement of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Lisa Washington said, “Small alterations [were] made to the dress to fit more desirably to my vision. I’m a unique person, I chose this dress because it’s different than the traditional wedding gown you see at every wedding.”

The Truth Ministries Holiness Church was established 14 months ago.

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