Policy on Weddings

 

The Covenant Marriage Vow

Believing that marriage is a covenant intended by God to be a lifelong fruitful relationship between a man and a woman, we vow to God, each other, our families, and our community to remain steadfast in unconditional love, reconciliation, and sexual purity, while purposefully growing in our covenant marriage relationship.

Marriage Policies

First Baptist Church and our Pastor will seek to join and build covenant marriages.

Firmly believing that the family was set up by God Himself, it is the desire of our church to establish some guidelines whereby we may best minister to our church family and others who may wish to use our facilities, staff or resources for a marriage ceremony.

1.      Pastor Bob will, after his acceptance, perform weddings for couples who are both professing Christians who are active in a Christian church, commit to sexual abstinence, are over 20 years old, are within 5 years of age of each other and have equal commitment to God, marriage and family.

2.      Pastor Bob will seek the approval of the parents of all couples who are 25 years old or younger.

3.      Unless there are some acceptable extenuating circumstances the wedding must be scheduled at least 4 months in advance.

4.      No wedding shall be performed at First Baptist Church without the pastor counseling with those desiring to wed a minimum of 6 separate times.  The pastor shall have the right of approval or denial of any marriage to be conducted at First Baptist Church, involving First Baptist Church staff or using any First Baptist Church resources.

5.      The Pastor reserves the right to decline performing the wedding or allowing the use of church facilities or staff for the wedding at any time during the pre marital preparation process.  No announcements of any kind shall be printed, published or shared until written confirmation is given from the Pastor that he has agreed to perform the service.  

6.      We feel that our church is the house of God; behavior at any wedding practice, ceremony or reception should be consistent with high standards of moral and Christian conduct. 

7.      We urge the wedding party to remember that at the center of any church wedding must be God Himself.  Therefore, the selection of a duly ordained minister is essential.  The choice of a minister, if other than church staff, must be approved by the pastor.  The minister of music or the pastor must approve the selections of music for the wedding.  Wedding apparel shall be in good taste and in keeping with the traditions of the church.

8.      The wedding party and the church member who reserved the church facilities are responsible to clean the church and return all facilities used to their pre-event condition.

9.      The wedding ceremony must honor God, be in good taste and be in keeping with the traditions of the church and the pastor.

First Baptist Church

Pastor Bob Alderman

P.O. Box 507

Rio Grande City, TX  78582

brobob@brobob.org