Why I stopped attending church — Comedian AY

Stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, has explained why he stopped attending church.

Speaking in a video broadcast on his social media page on Sunday, the comedian said he stopped going to church not because he lost his faith, but because of the public scrutiny he has been subjected to following his divorce.

He explained that he occasionally worships online but chose to step back from church because he didn’t want to become the subject of whispered conversations.

“For some time now, I stopped attending church not because I stopped believing in God or lost my faith. I was actually navigating a very personal season; the negative narrative put out on the blogs against me.

“So, I chose to step back quietly. Part of that decision was because I didn’t want to become the subject of whispered conversations,” AY explained.

The comedian said that, at some point, he found another church and started worshipping there but got discouraged again after he was dropped from a church programme he had initially been booked for because the church claimed they were “worried about public perception.”

He said the experience has made him question what the church is really for and what it represents.

“Shouldn’t the church be the safest place to find truth, grace, and restoration? If people cannot run to God’s house when life becomes heavy on them, where are they meant to run to? The clueless people who just post negative comments on social media or go ahead and judge you without even knowing the root of whatever happened? Or the few friends who would skilfully avoid you because of public perception?” he asked.

AY emphasised that the church should be a place of grace and restoration, not judgment and condemnation.