Wedding Policy

Marriage is not an institution created by man, but by God. Genesis 2:21-24 states So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at that place. {22} And the LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. {23} And the man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." {24} For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ reaffirmed the sacredness of marriage by referring to the above text and stating that “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”(Matthew 19:6) As the creator of people and of marriage, God knows what is best for a successful and fulfilling marriage. It is to the Bible that we look, therefore, to discover what the plan of God is for marriage. Our goal is to discover and follow God’s will in marriage. As a church, we seek to have the highest regard for this institution that is sacred by virtue of its being God’s creation. It is understood that people do not have to come to a church to be married. The state can provide the contractual agreement necessary to make a man and woman husband and wife. However, the state and the church view marriage very differently. For this church, marriage by the church is not simply a means to providing a beautiful ceremony at which the minister presides. It is a holy event which calls upon the Creator God to superintend and to bless. It is the recognition of His word. Marriage is an act of worship meant to glorify God, not just a legally binding ceremony. Marriage is the coming together of two lives under God in a covenant relationship in obedience to the Bible till death does them part.

Marriage Defined: Marriage is the God instituted covenant between a man and a woman in which the two become one. That marriage is monogamous, holy, exclusive, and intended to be permanent.

Covenant – Meaning that marriage is not simply a legal contract recognized by the state. Marriage is a covenant – with God creating, defining, and establishing the purpose and parameters of the relationship. Marriage is entered into with promises being made to one another and to the Lord.

Man and a Woman – God created male and female. He brought them together for the purpose of intimacy – spiritual, emotional, and physical. Marriage is for a man to enter into a relationship with a woman. As a church, we graciously decline to participate in marriages that are outside this understanding. We do so because of submitting to the authority of Scripture and not because of being motivated by prejudice, hatred, or pride.

Monogamous – Marriage is intended to be between one man and one woman.

Exclusive – The intimacy that at the heart of marriage is intended exclusively for the two people who have entered into that covenant. Sharing that intimacy with other people is outside of God’s will and is a sinful act of rebellion. Intimacy cannot be known when one of those being married is a Christian and one is not.



Permanent – Divorce and disillusionment of the marriage covenant grieves God and injures the body of Christ. Every effort should be sought for reconciliation when there are difficulties encountered within the marriage. We do recognize that abandonment and infidelity may serve as permissions for divorce but they should not serve as guarantees of it. One man and one woman for life is God’s plan for marriage.