Grace Ekirapa on support, distance, and life in church after divorce

Media personality Grace Ekirapa has opened up about her experience in church following the end of her marriage, describing moments of emotional support alongside periods of withdrawal and discomfort from people around her.

Speaking during a public reflection on her social media, she compared her experience to a hospital scenario.

“Imagine you are unwell and you go into a hospital and instead of the doctors treating you, they end up intoxicating you and you end up going home sicker.”

She used the analogy to describe how she felt in certain interactions within her faith community after her personal life became public.

Grace said she noticed a change in how people interacted with her after news of her marriage situation became known.

Before that, she said she was actively serving in her local church and interacting normally with members of the congregation.

After the news spread, she described a noticeable shift in behaviour from some people she had previously interacted with regularly.

“Some people who used to say hi to me didn’t say hi to me anymore. Some people who used to tell me I blessed them all of a sudden had an eye, you know, they looked at me funny.”

She said the change affected everyday interactions, including greetings and general engagement within the church environment.

Grace also recounted a conversation with church leadership after concerns were raised about her continued service in ministry following the public news of her marriage.

She said she was called in and informed that some members of the congregation were uncomfortable with her continued presence on the pulpit.

She described her reaction to the conversation as one of fear and uncertainty about what the outcome would be.

According to her account, she had previously seen situations where members of a congregation were publicly disciplined for moral issues, which influenced her expectations of what might happen to her.

In the same conversation, she said she was given space to express whether she still felt comfortable serving.

“We do not want you to sit down unless that’s what you want. Are you comfortable serving?”

She responded that she wanted to continue serving.

“This is the one thing that’s staying for me right now. This is the one thing that is keeping me afloat right now. Please don’t take this away from me.”

She said she was told that she would not be removed from service and that leadership would support her.

“We are not taking you off, and we would not want to. I just want you to know that we are behind you and we are supporting you.”

Grace described changes in how some people related to her after the news of her marriage became public.

She said that interactions that were previously warm and familiar became distant or less frequent.

“Even before the news broke and they saw me serving, the reality was the same. I remember people saying hi to me after service before they knew the truth. And some of them would even say hi to me, you know, and tell me how I blessed them. But after the news broke, all of a sudden I became a stranger.”

She said some of the shifts were not openly communicated but were reflected in everyday behavior, including greetings and general engagement.

Grace also spoke about receiving messages from people serving in church leadership who expressed concern about similar situations in their own lives.

She referenced one message from a spiritual leader who asked how to navigate personal marital breakdown while still holding public responsibility in ministry.

“How do I wake up and say my marriage is over? I am a leader. I am being looked up on. People consider me as a shepherd. How do I wake up and say it has failed?”

She said the messages reflected wider struggles among people in leadership positions who face personal challenges while maintaining public roles.