When Did the Church Get Into the Wedding Business?

By Donald K Dewey

The intent of this book is to explore just what the title suggests: the How, Why, and When the church got involved in weddings. We’ll also take a look at why government got involved. We will have to take a look at different cultures as they have impacted our own Western culture. First we will look at the history and traditions of weddings and marriage. The traditions are fun. At one time brides and grooms were almost "dared" to fall into their cake. From there we will look at more serious issues and then these questions:
1.Did the early church perform or get involved in weddings?
2.Did God tell the church to perform weddings, or to get involved with weddings?
3.How Biblical is all that we do in regard to weddings?
4.How obligated is the church and clergy to perform weddings?
These questions are particularly pertinent in this age in which many ministers may stop doing weddings altogether, for reasons we will explore. Marriage is a different matter—pastors want to help people have solid, satisfying, God-honoring marriages. But the wedding itself? Ah, that’s the question. The wedding is all about tradition, self-expression, and is in one very real sense, a “show.” The guests and family members come to see the formality of the beginning of the marriage in this wedding ceremony.
While that isn't wrong, does it require a minister? Could ministers be called upon to officiate at weddings with which they disagree? This book will look at why the government got involved, why churches got involved, and why minsters are involved in weddings. It may all change during the next few years, but this is how it came about and this is how it is now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donald K Dewey
• Release date: Jul 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370777440

Book preview

When Did the Church

Get Into the Wedding Business?

Traditions, Church and Governmental Involvement

For

Pastors,

Parents,

Engaged couples,

Those thinking about marriage,

And of course, the curious.

by

Rev. Donald K. Dewey, AA, BA, MRE

Copyright © 2016 by Donald K. Dewey

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without written permission of the author or publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, or use in a class setting. All Bible references are from the New International Version of the Bible.

Preface

The intent of this book is to explore just what the title suggests: the How, Why, and When the church got involved in weddings. We’ll also take a look at why government got involved. We will have to take a look at different cultures as they have impacted our own Western culture. First we will look at the history of weddings and marriage, and then these questions:

1. Did the early church perform or get involved in weddings?

2. Did God tell the church to perform weddings, or to get involved with weddings?

3. How Biblical is all that we do in regard to weddings?

4. How obligated is the church and clergy to perform weddings?

These questions are particularly pertinent in this age in which many ministers may stop doing weddings altogether, for reasons we will explore. Marriage is a different matter—pastors want to help people have solid, satisfying, God-honoring marriages. But the wedding itself? Ah, that’s the question. The wedding is all about tradition, self-expression, and is in one very real sense, a show. The guests and family members come to see the formality of the beginning of the marriage in this wedding ceremony.

In reality, so many couples are living together before marriage that when they get to the actual wedding it seems anticlimactic. People who have been sleeping together for three years don’t want to see each other on the day of the wedding. Really—why? Many pastors have a different perspective on these things than the others involved in the wedding. After reading this short book on weddings, I hope my readers understand it all better in the context of common traditions.

Other books by this author:

Walk Through Romans (Paper copy and Kindle download both on Amazon)

The God of Passion (A Kindle workbook on Amazon)

12 Spectacular Teaching Moments Vol. 1 (Amazon)

12 Spectacular Teaching Moments Vol. 2

Modern Methods for Teaching Morals (A Kindle workbook on Amazon)

Pursuit, a