MARRIAGE FAITH STATEMENT

Marriage: Marriage has three essential characteristics.
First, God instituted marriage as a natural common grace available to all people, at all times, in all places.   Since God instituted marriage between man and woman. A Marriage Ceremony is a worship ceremony before God and man first and foremost  and takes precidence over a civil function.

Second, biblical marriage is a lifelong covenant or sacrament between one man and one woman (Matthew 19:4-6). Biblical marriage promotes the bearing and rearing of children and exercise of stewardship over creation to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 2:27-28). The essence of a Christian wedding is the Divine blessing of the bride and groom as they exchange vows while God receives the worship of the congregation as they witness those vows and as they offer Him prayer and praise.   The Wedding Ceremony is a worship service unto God.  Whereas, the charges by God for a man to his wife and for a wife to her husband are read.  

Third, marriage is also a legal or civil status licensed by government.  As  ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the biblical definition and requirement of marriage (between one man and one woman) must be met before preforming the ceremonial worship service and civil function.