Relationship coach and lead pastor of David Christian Centre Kingsley Okonkwo has continued to defend his decision to get the Bible-inspired tattoo he unveiled during his 50th birthday celebration, saying he felt insulted by comments from some ministers.
Pastor Okonkwo drew attention after sharing a video on Instagram in January showing the tattoo process accompanied by a voice-over of John 3:16.
The tattoo bears the inscription “III: XVI,” representing the Bible verse in Roman numerals. The post generated debate among Christians and social media users.
Addressing the issue during a sermon on Sunday, the cleric said only a few ministers understood his decision, while others reacted based on religious bias.
“On my tattoo issue, only one or two ministers were grounded and sound enough to understand it. Most of them are just religious people,” he said.
“They said, ‘Tattoo is not a sin, but is it expedient? Why did you post it? Why must you do it?’ That is stupid talk, and I am insulted.”
He added that spiritual authority differs among ministers and not everyone is in a position to criticise others.
“There is ranking in the spirit. My junior cannot talk when I am talking. There are people you cannot correct. The scope of what they are handling, you cannot grasp it,” he said.
Okonkwo cited Christian leaders such as Joyce Meyer and Max Lucado, who have tattoos, to support his position.
“Am I higher than Joyce Meyer? She had a tattoo at eight years old. Am I higher than Max Lucado? He got his tattoo at 70,” he said.
He explained that making the tattoo public was connected to his calling.
“I posted it because my own position, my own calling, my own constituency requires that. Even Peter said he could not understand Paul. In Christianity, there are different flavours. It is not only your style that matters. You don’t want to wear shoes – so what? I want to wear shoes. How does that affect anybody’s faith?” he said.
Okonkwo had earlier maintained that there is no Bible passage prohibiting Christians from having tattoos.
Responding in an interview with News Central, he said objections were based on church traditions and personal preferences rather than scripture.
“There’s no scripture that says a child of God cannot have tattoo. People are doing personal preference or what their church prefers and want to impose it on others,” he said.
He challenged critics to provide scriptural or scientific evidence that tattoos are wrong and rejected claims that body markings determine moral standing.
In previous remarks, Kingsley Okonkwo described the tattoo as a form of evangelism, stating that the inscription referencing John 3:16 helped spread the gospel message online.
The pastor, known for teachings on marriage and relationships, continues to face mixed reactions over the decision, with debate ongoing on social media over biblical interpretation and personal expression.
