Wedding Policy

WEDDING POLICY FOR OUR REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH:

  1.   A wedding is a service of God, wherein His saving word, both Law and Gospel, comes to us for our salvation.
  2.   All weddings will be performed by a pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, exception being made in those instances when the participation of another LCMS pastor is approved by the pastor(s) of Our Redeemer.
  3.   The Marriage policy of THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF OUR REDEEMER, a member Congregation of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is and always has been consistent with the Synod’s beliefs on marriage. We believe that marriage is a sacred union of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24-25), and that God gave marriage as a picture of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church (Eph. 5:32). The official position of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, as set forth in 1998 Res 3;21 (“To Affirm the Sanctity of Marriage and to Reject Same-Sex Unions”), is that homosexual unions come under categorical prohibition in the old and New testaments (Lev. 18:22, 25; 20:13; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:9-10) as contrary to Creator’s design (Rom. 1:26-27). These positions and beliefs can be found on LCMS website, along with other statements, papers and reports on the subject of homosexuality and same-sex civil unions and “marriage.” Our pastors will not officiate over any marriages inconsistent with these beliefs, and our church property may not be used for any marriage ceremony, reception or other activity that would be inconsistent with our beliefs.

Weddings:

  1.   When a couple plans a wedding, it will be determined if one or both of the couple is a member of an LCMS congregation.
  2.   If one or both of the couple is a member of an LCMS congregation, the couple will be required to participate in pre-marital counseling with a pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, to be arranged by the pastor and the couple.
  3.   If neither one of the couple is a member of an LCMS congregation, performing the wedding is at the pastor’s discretion, and if the pastor agrees to perform the ceremony, the couple will receive catechetical instruction before the wedding may be performed.