Ex-Church of Christ Support Board

From what I have read on here, is it true that you can’t have weddings in the church building?

In the NICOC congregations I was familiar with, you could have a wedding in the church building if you are a member of the church and the person who marries you is the preacher, but no musical instruments and no refreshments of any kind. Expect a wedding sermon.

FinallyFree wrote:From what I have read on here, is it true that you can’t have weddings in the church building?

My parents’s NICOC allowed weddings, but my mother was convinced it was not a scriptural use of the building. I doubt that she was the only one who thought this. She might have been influenced by her brother, who was an NICOC preacher.

One of the few issues that never caused a church split, as far as I know.

I never was non-institutional but the one cup church I visited was. They had fellowship meals in the their building after services sometimes. When one of their members got married they used the big mainline Church of Christ building in town to do it in and had a reception afterwards in their fellowship hall.

One cup people ain't got time to argue over whether they can marry or eat in the building. There too busy arguing over more important issues whether the loaf should be pinched off or broke in half before being served.

The church is the people and not the building, so to me, that is strange logic.

FinallyFree wrote:The church is the people and not the building, so to me, that is strange logic.

The weird thing is is that the New Testament may actually mention a church building indirectly speaking in the Book of James. The author rebukes showing the rich favoritism in the assemblies. The thing is that the word for assembly is not the Greek ecclesia but synagugaue, a Hebrew term for assembly and also a building used for that purpose. It is strange that the word synagogue was used instead of ecclessia if he was speaking of just church people assembling. It may be that there was a literal building they were meeting in after they converted the Jews belonging to it to Christianity.

I was married in "the building". A few years later the church my parents attended came down on the side of no marriages. I don't think it is a universal tradition amongst all the NICoC. However, those that don't use the building will often times look at the ones that do with a uncertain eye thinking they may be going "liberal". I find it funny that when the arguments came up where my parents were involved in the "no use" wing of the church, those opposing the use had been married in a CoC building!

The NICOC I attended had a member who thought it was wrong to have weddings or funerals in the building, but promised to never make it an issue. He didn't until he was appointed as an elder. Then, he made it an issue and ended the practice. Made a bunch of folks mad. It has been my experience the people with the nuttiest views tend to make the rules for the whole congregation.

FCOCER wrote:The NICOC I attended had a member who thought it was wrong to have weddings or funerals in the building, but promised to never make it an issue. He didn't until he was appointed as an elder. Then, he made it an issue and ended the practice. Made a bunch of folks mad. It has been my experience the people with the nuttiest views tend to make the rules for the whole congregation.

Slick move by Mr. Elder.

I agree with you that those with the odder views (or most restrictive, I suppose) tend to make the rules for the entire congregation. You may not even know who they are.....a friend and I called them "phantom offendees" because they would complain to the preacher or elders about a practice or person but ask to remain anonymous.

I mean, just having to have this as a topic makes me laugh now. A perfect illustration of the rediculousness of trying to follow every word to a T in the Bible. So many friendships, family relationships and lives affected or even ruined over such silliness. I wonder if Jehova Wittnesses are allowed to get married in their building. I’d say the COC’s & JW run a pretty tight race of taking the nutty prize. JW probably aren’t even allowed to have ceremony though.