For most people, church is a place of peace. But for Melissa Sloan, it became a place of heartbreak.
The 46-year-old mother of seven from Powys, Wales, says she was thrown out of a church after being told she was “singing too loud.” Covered head to toe in tattoos — more than 800 in total — Melissa believes her appearance, not her voice, was the real reason she was asked to leave.
“Everyone turned their backs and laughed at me,” she said quietly. “The priest told me, ‘You’ve got to leave.’ I felt like the odd one out. Isn’t church supposed to welcome everyone?”
Melissa, who found faith when her partner Luke fell ill, says the experience broke her spirit. “The priest must be evil to do that,” she said. “Jesus wouldn’t judge me for how I look.” Despite losing faith in the church, she insists she’ll never lose faith in Him.
💔 “I still love Jesus,” she said. “He loves me for what’s inside, not what’s on my skin.”
Maybe that’s a message the world could use a little more of today.
