Old flames rekindle at Bethel Gospel Hall

Nov 09, 2010 News

– 14 couples renew wedding vows

June may be the month of brides; however, November seems to be the month when couples renew wedding vows.
On Sunday afternoon, people turned up at the Bethel Gospel Hall, on Camp Street, to witness several couples who renewed their wedding vows, under the theme “Igniting the family, fanning the flames”.
This is the first time that such an event has occurred at the Bethel Gospel Hall, making it a historical event, which the church hopes to commemorate every year. Fourteen couples had their vows renewed at this special church celebration service.
According to Mr. Stephen David-Longe, an elder of the Bethel Gospel Hall, this idea birthed out of the “Family Life” group, which the church had established and the renewal of vows at last evening’s event was part of a programme of this group called “Marriage Forum”.
David-Longe stated that prior to this, there was a two-day conference in October for married couples, and many persons who participated expressed their desires to have their vows renewed on the settled date.
He explained to this newspaper that the purpose of the event was not only to have vows renewed but to also help strengthen marriages, while encouraging and reminding couples that marriage is sacred and a part of God’s plan for them.
The church elder further stated that “God is the one who ordained marriage and therefore it is the aim of the church to remind couples that they need to honor and commit to the vows they had once taken long before.”
Pastor Joseph Johnson, who was the Officiating Minister, in delivering the charge to the husbands and wives, emphasised that marriage must always be remembered as a covenant with God rather than a contract between a pair.
He said that this covenant (marriage) is meant to be a bond between one man, his wife and their God and that the aim of the ceremony was for those couples to re-affirm their vows while making another commitment, which was to be faithful to those vows.
Pastor Johnson stated that not only is it the job of the church to prepare persons for marriage, but to ensure that they are provided with counseling and other forms of encouragement in making their marriages work.
He added that a marriage should be a covenant, a commitment and a reflection of God’s image.
Mr. & Mrs. Lionel Persaud, the longest married couple with 27 years of marriage, both expressed their joy in having an opportunity to express their love for each other again. They stated that this ceremony is a beautiful opportunity to present marriage as an instrument of societal blessing and as a way that God wants it, since many persons in society get into marriage carelessly.
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen David-Longe who have been married for 25 years and also had their vows renewed, explained that marriage is “still very much part of God’s plan” and this event would help persons remember they should remain fully committed to marriage, which leads to oneness, despite the turbulence that might be encountered.
Kaieteur News was told that the couples who had their vows renewed were not only from the Bethel Gospel Hall, but from other Christian denominations, who had participated in their two-day conference/ seminar in October, last.
These couples include Mr. & Mrs. Lancelot Glen, Mr. & Mrs. Paul Grooms, Mr. & Mrs. Fitzroy Marcus, Mr. & Mrs. Ron Daniels, Mr. & Mrs. Carlos Matthews, Mr. & Mrs. Wainright Henry, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ross, Mr. & Mrs. Akintunda Cave, Mr. & Mrs. Phillip Chance, Mr. & Mrs. Keith Griffith, Mr. & Mrs. Stephen David-Longe and Mr. & Mrs. Lionel Persaud.

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