Nigerian gospel singer Emmanuel Benjamin, known professionally as Eben, has revealed how a church cancelled his scheduled performance after taking issue with his appearance in a pair of shredded denim jeans featured on his album cover.

Speaking in a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Eben described the incident as both surprising and disheartening.

According to him, he had already been formally invited to minister at the church’s convention, with all plans and logistics fully concluded, before concerns were raised about his outfit.

Eben explained that the issue arose when members of the church’s organising committee came across his album artwork, in which he appeared in ripped jeans.

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Although he maintained that the clothing was neither indecent nor provocative, the committee reportedly felt it did not fit their idea of how a Christian minister should dress.

He recalled receiving a call from the event organiser, who sounded distressed while explaining that the church leadership was uncomfortable with his appearance and had decided to withdraw the invitation on that basis.

The decision, Eben said, was rooted solely in perceptions about his clothing rather than his message or years of service.

Reflecting on the episode, the gospel singer noted that he has spent more than two decades in ministry and has witnessed how outward appearance can sometimes be given more importance than spiritual substance.

He expressed concern that such attitudes could distract from the true purpose of worship.

Eben concluded by urging churches to focus on sincere worship, sound teaching and leading people closer to God, rather than placing undue emphasis on dress sense.

According to him, true ministry should be measured by impact and faith, not by fashion choices.