Biblically, there is a role for church leadership in the marriages of saints. Paul the Apostle, did a lot in this area. In passages like Romans 7:32, I Cor 7, Ephesians 5:25-33), Paul touches on issues such as the need for marriage, conditions for remarriage, love, care and submission in marriage and even sexual intimacy in marriage.

In Titus 2:3-5, Paul charges older women in the church to teach young ladies on good relationship with their husbands and home-keeping.

Peter in I Peter 3:1-7, offers gives godly and necessary counsel to married couples.

Therefore, it is the divine mandate for church leaders/elders to mentor, support and counsel young people planning to get married and even those who are already married( young or not). The church must be involved in the marriages of the saints through sound teachings and giving help and support whenever it is needed .

Would it be wrong for a church to assign godly, experienced and spiritually mature elders to fulfill this role? I think not. If the role of what some people call the Marriage Committee is restricted to teaching, counselling and guiding couples to have a home that fulfills the will of God, then there is no problem.

But we know what the MC does in many places is the killjoy usurpation of the role of the families of young people and ungodly poking of their noses into the personal affairs of people.

It is important to note that while the Bible has a lot to say on how a Christian home should be, it has no prescription on processes leading to a wedding. The Bible is less concerned on how a man finds a wife, and what mode of wedding a couple adopts.

In the Bible, beyond the admonition for a believer not to marry and unbeliever, our observation is that courtship and wedding matters are private issues. The Bible gives no role to the church or its leadership in deciding, approving, whom a person should marry, how and when to propose marriage, how long a courtship should last, what mode of marriage to adopt, what clothing to use for the marriage, who to join a couple in marriage, and so on.

What is called church marriage is a tradition of men and not a Biblical prescription. A pastor or priest has no divine assignment to conduct any marriage.It amounts to being a busy body when a "church" makes it compulsory for young people to take permission to get married to whomever they choose. It is extra-scriptural. A confused young person who is undecided on how to make a choice in marriage should be allowed to voluntarily reach out to any elder of their choice if they need it.

The true church leadership of today must pay more attention to helping intending couples and the already married, to enjoy bliss, happiness, fulfillment in their homes, than just making rules for young people intending to get married. Too many regulations and rules and unnecessary protocol, have served to dash the hopes of young lovers and would be lovers. Some have been forced into premarital sex. Others have had to tell lies or half-truths to scale the hurdles in place by the denominational leadership.

In a real church, we don't need any rules and guidelines. The scripture is sufficient.

Note, there is no wedding ministry in the church. God does not give crowns to oppressive and dictatorial church "marriage specialists."

Copied.

Cti28:
Biblically, there is a role for church leadership in the marriages of saints. Paul the Apostle, did a lot in this area. In passages like Romans 7:32, I Cor 7, Ephesians 5:25-33), Paul touches on issues such as the need for marriage, conditions for remarriage, love, care and submission in marriage and even sexual intimacy in marriage.

In Titus 2:3-5, Paul charges older women in the church to teach young ladies on good relationship with their husbands and home-keeping.

Peter in I Peter 3:1-7, offers gives godly and necessary counsel to married couples.

Therefore, it is the divine mandate for church leaders/elders to mentor, support and counsel young people planning to get married and even those who are already married( young or not). The church must be involved in the marriages of the saints through sound teachings and giving help and support whenever it is needed .

Would it be wrong for a church to assign godly, experienced and spiritually mature elders to fulfill this role? I think not. If the role of what some people call the Marriage Committee is restricted to teaching, counselling and guiding couples to have a home that fulfills the will of God, then there is no problem.

But we know what the MC does in many places is the killjoy usurpation of the role of the families of young people and ungodly poking of their noses into the personal affairs of people.

It is important to note that while the Bible has a lot to say on how a Christian home should be, it has no prescription on processes leading to a wedding. The Bible is less concerned on how a man finds a wife, and what mode of wedding a couple adopts.

In the Bible, beyond the admonition for a believer not to marry and unbeliever, our observation is that courtship and wedding matters are private issues. The Bible gives no role to the church or its leadership in deciding, approving, whom a person should marry, how and when to propose marriage, how long a courtship should last, what mode of marriage to adopt, what clothing to use for the marriage, who to join a couple in marriage, and so on.

What is called church marriage is a tradition of men and not a Biblical prescription. A pastor or priest has no divine assignment to conduct any marriage.It amounts to being a busy body when a "church" makes it compulsory for young people to take permission to get married to whomever they choose. It is extra-scriptural. A confused young person who is undecided on how to make a choice in marriage should be allowed to voluntarily reach out to any elder of their choice if they need it.

The true church leadership of today must pay more attention to helping intending couples and the already married, to enjoy bliss, happiness, fulfillment in their homes, than just making rules for young people intending to get married. Too many regulations and rules and unnecessary protocol, have served to dash the hopes of young lovers and would be lovers. Some have been forced into premarital sex. Others have had to tell lies or half-truths to scale the hurdles in place by the denominational leadership.

In a real church, we don't need any rules and guidelines. The scripture is sufficient.

Note, there is no wedding ministry in the church. God does not give crowns to oppressive and dictatorial church "marriage specialists."

Copied.

One thing I have realized is that, a leadership may have a laudable program in place, but some bad eggs will come turn it to something else. Making the program seem ungodly.

What is needed is for the leadership to sanitize the program.