The tab-collar shirt story
When I entered ministry in 2009, I said to myself that there was one thing I wouldn't do - wear a tab-collar clergy shirt. This is why I changed my mind...
I was ordained into ministry at All Saints Community Church on January 4, 2009. I didn’t expect to take over as pastor in early March 2009 (that’s another story), but I decided early on that there was one thing some of my predecessors wore that I wouldn’t - a tab-collar clergy shirt (see above).
When the first-ever Youngstown Pride event came, All Saints was present, and as pastor, I would be there. But how do people know that I’m the pastor? It was important to me that people knew that even the pastor was supporting the LGBTQ community.
Wearing a robe and stole (as I wore for many years on Sundays) wasn’t appropriate for the environment, and I would probably soil it. Then I thought, “What if I get a tab-collar clergy shirt? People will recognize me as pastor!”
I had just enough time to order a shirt my size and get it delivered the day before the event.
And years later, if I’m speaking at an event outside of All Saints, or if I wouldn’t be wearing robe and stole during service at All Saints, then I wear a tab-collar clergy shirt, often paired with black pants and sports jacket.