Sarah Jakes Roberts defends herself against taking off her wig during a sermon after critics accuse her of trading in ‘performative’

Sarah Jakes Roberts describes her viral wig-snapping moment in the pulpit as a blessing in disguise. Last May, the religious minister and businesswoman amazed her flock with the best way she handled a hair accident during a sermon.

As she delivered her passionate message about God’s purpose, Sarah’s wig began to slip down the back of her head, revealing the flesh-colored cap she wore to guard her own tresses. Instead of stopping to repair the issue, she cleared it right in front of the crowded sanctuary of Potter’s House Church in Dallas, Texas.

She admitted this on the time, writing: “My message was more important than maintaining my appearance, so I took it off, locked myself in and continued preaching,” in an Instagram post.

This yr, during an April 30 appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” she talked about this unplanned incident as confirmation that she was following the trail God had planned for her. “I had no choice. (…) I knew I had a mission to accomplish and I didn’t want to be distracted by anything,” she told the hosts when asked why she hadn’t considered the choice to revealing her cap and wig.

She continued: “My husband wasn’t there, my parents weren’t there, so I couldn’t throw the mic. I was a member of senior management, the person who was present in the room, so I had to take it off.

“I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it, but I faced it,” said the author of “Power Moves: Ignite Your Confidence and Become a Force.”

To her credit, Sarah revealed that at this time in her life she had doubts about taking on a more prominent role at The Potter’s House church and wondered whether her background as a teenage mother and non-traditional approach to spreading the gospel would be well received.

Two months after that viral moment, her father, Bishop TD Jakes, appointed her and her husband, Touré Roberts, as assistant pastors.

Sarah explained, “I really felt like God was trying to tell me, ‘Just be authentic, just trust yourself,’ during this time in my life. And so this Sunday, as I’m sitting there with my wig cap and the other women are starting to take off their wigs on the altar, I thought, you know what, I think this might be God trying to tell me that you’re going to have to show your full self.”

The mother of six said she was showered with praise for her “bravery”. “Y’all know it’s not my hair and no it’s not perfect, but it’s not more important than what I’m here for. …When I got back behind the platform, I thought, “Oh Lord, I have desecrated the Potter House.” There are bundles on the altar. I even have desecrated this place.”

People who joined the discussion provided a variety of responses. One person on YouTube he wrote“The day she took off her wig was one of her best favors ever. Nothing else mattered.

But not everyone was a fan. An individualist on Instagram he said removing her wig was “so performative”. A 3rd comment suggested that the purpose of Sarah’s testimony was lost once they wrote, “Taking your wig off on stage has nothing to do with spirituality.”

Sarah, nonetheless, sees this experience as one more reason why her life is a living testimony.