White Tail Chapel, located in Southampton County, Virginia, has recently made a bizarre decision to welcome its congregation the way they were made – nude. Pastor Allen Parker, the leader of the church, said that he found the clothing requirements of other churches overly pretentious. So he wanted his own flock to be able to let go of such materialism if they desired to. He argues that many of the Bible’s most defining moments occurred when people where nude, including the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. “When he was born he was naked, when he was crucified he was naked and when he arose he left his clothes in the tomb and he was naked. If God made us that way, how can that be wrong,” said Parker, in an interview with CNN. The pastor’s theory is that nudity is the ‘great equalizer’ that reminds the people gathered in church that they are all simple human beings. His goal is to drive the fact that beneath all the personal wealth and glamorous clothing, everyone is more or less the same. “There’s not a feeling that you have to be better than one another, physically,” he said. We’re humans, we have scars, we have what we have. It’s learning to love and accept that.”

Photo: NBC 12 video caption

It appears that Parker has drawn inspiration from the book of Genesis – Adam and Eve’s story. Originally described as both naked, they were said to be ‘not ashamed’. Only after they took a bite of the forbidden fruit did they perceive their nudity as shameful. In spite of the new philosophy adopted by the church, many of the worshippers still prefer to go fully clothed, especially now that it’s winter. Some opt to just reveal parts of their bodies, like their breasts or genitals. But the pastor himself is always nude, leading by example. He stands in his pulpit without a thread on his body, as he reads out stories from the Bible. “I consider this a gift and a privilege God has given me,” he said. “They’re caring, they’re understanding, and they’re community and family oriented. We have one of the most involved chapels anyplace around. I’ll put our church up against others around.”

Photo: White Tail Chapel/Facebook

Some members of the congregation, however, have chosen to fully embrace the nudist way. Several couples have even been married in fully nude services, with members of both families shedding all their clothing just before the vows. The pastor of course, is naked the whole time. Robert and Katie church were one of the couples who had a naked wedding at the chapel. According to Robert, the attendees were more interested in hearing and speaking the word of God than analyzing the naked bodies on display. Katie said that she has come to love the experience of worshipping in the nude. “Once we were married at we were here, this whole place became our family,” she said. The couple was happy that the church lacked the ‘pretense’ sometimes found in other places of worship. I suppose saving a bomb on wedding clothes was an added bonus.

 

White Tail Chapel is located on the grounds of White Tail Resort, which is a ‘Family Nudist Community’. Visitors can enjoy all kinds of activities, including worship, in the nude. via NBC 12