Ariyike Owolagba, the actress and media personality better known as Ariyike Dimples, has opened up about her three-year absence from the church.
In a recent interview on the Open Up podcast, Ariyike cited an “overly strict” doctrine and a culture of judgment as the primary reasons for her departure.
The film star explained that she felt compelled to distance herself from the very church she grew up in. She described the church as an environment that “is rigid and unforgiving,” particularly towards young people, making it nearly impossible for them to feel welcome and remain.
The lack of investment in the youth, she noted, has had a visible long-term effect on her.
“So after three years of not going to church because I felt like I did not like the doctrine of our church and they were overly strict. I had this conversation recently where I said they did not invest in the youth and now it feels like whenever you visit my root church, you see only elderly people,” she said.
“You barely see the young ones, the young ones have moved to other churches. It was too serious but they did not understand that yes, you can have your doctrines but there is a way you can simplify it and just take people in without judging.”
Ariyike also revealed her personal and hurtful encounter. She recalled a specific Sunday when she wore a pencil skirt to service. Instead of receiving a warm welcome, she was confronted by a woman who told her she was “going to hellfire” for her attire.
The situation escalated further when the woman reported her to her father, invoking the “it takes a village to raise a child” adage in a punitive rather than supportive way.
“The reason I stopped going to church was because I wore pencil skirt and a woman told me ‘I am going to hell fire’. I am like God is not this deep now, so I stopped going to church for like three years and thankfully I was out of the house,” she said.
“… I would rather not deal with this community people so they are not even seeing me and I did not go to church for 3 years.”
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