Marriage

At First Evan, we take marriage very seriously. It is a solemn covenant relationship that we should never enter into lightly. Once married, the marriage is to be protected and nurtured. The idea that a marriage can be easily exited has no place in the Christian worldview.

We live in a culture that offers many definitions for marriage. We believe God offers only one. Our Elders have prepared the following statement on marriage and only marriages in accordance with this definition are permitted at First Evan.

Marriage, a human relationship ordained and instituted by God, is the union-in-covenant before God (Mal. 2:14) between one man and one woman for their lifetime together (Gen. 2:20-25). The most intimate of all human relationships, marriage illustrates in physical form God’s union with His people, an analogy carried over from the Old to the New Testament (Isa. 54:5; Jer. 3:20; Ezek. 16; Hosea 2:14-23; Eph. 5:23-24). Furthermore, it is our conviction that the unity-in-time of human marriage depicts God’s unity within Himself in eternity.  Accordingly, marriage should be honored, celebrated, and protected; it should be regarded as the most sacred and binding of all human commitments (Prov. 5:18-19; Mal. 2:15; Mark 10:6-9; Heb. 13:4; 1 Peter 3:7).

Our Sanctuary is a beautiful setting for a wedding. We permit both members and, as time permits, non-members to be married here provided their marriage is in accordance with God’s plan and design. However, First Evan should never be viewed as merely a wedding venue. Premarital counseling is required for couples to be married here and while we allow outside ministers to officiate weddings at First Evan they must be approved by a member of our pastoral staff and affirm our Statement on Marriage and our basic doctrinal beliefs. 

Even the best marriages have times where they can use a little help. We offer marital counseling for our members and, as time permits, others from the community. For non-members we do not have time to see, we maintain an extensive referral list of excellent counselors in the city.

If you are interested in having your wedding at First Evan or are in need of marital counseling, please contact Jacki Stieferman at 682-8452.