The 23-year-old, who plays for Manchester City, posted a picture of himself training with his England team-mates at St George's Park, with a tattoo of an assault rifle on his right calf clearly visible.
Pastor Pastor Peter Nembhard who leads ARC church in London and has led many anti-violence campaigns has expressed disappointment with the footballer.
Speaking on Premier's News Hour, he said: "It's irresponsible particularly in the present climate with the lives that have been taken this year through gun and knife crime."
Sterling, who will compete at the World Cup in Russia this summer has alluded to the tattoo having a "deeper meaning".
In a post on Instagram, he said: "When I was 2 my father died from being gunned down to death I made a promise to myself I would never touch a gun in my life time, I shoot with my right foot so it has a deeper meaning N still unfinished."
Pastor Nembhard is still hopeful something good can come out of this.
"It's his body and he can do whatever he wants but it's the message he sends out," he said. "But if he says it's not finished - maybe he'll complete it by saying 'no to guns' and that would be a very good message."
Sterling has received lots of criticism.
Lucy Cope, who founded Mothers Against Guns after her son Damian was shot dead outside a club in central London in July 2002, said the ink was "totally unacceptable" and called for him to be dropped by England.
However several football commentators have jumped to his defence. Gary Lineker has labelled his treatment by the media as "persecution" while Dan Walker said the press should "get off his back".
He's a terrific footballer with a brilliant work ethic. This persecution is disgusting. https://t.co/bx3JArBt1L
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 28, 2018
Get off his back pic.twitter.com/cEGjnTARMn
— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) May 28, 2018
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