We desire that your marriage be all God intended it to be.

God created man and woman. Since God is the designer of marriage, He knows best how to build a happy marriage.

In His Word, we find basic principles which must be understood and applied if we hope to experience joy and fulfillment in marriage. Ignoring these principles will result in frustration and problems in the marriage relationship.

Because we are committed to building strong, biblical marriages, we share the following guidelines. Our purpose is not to condemn or reject anyone, but to comply with God’s principles for marriage.

1. Because we encourage a minimum of three months of marital preparation, couples who desire to be married at Olivet Christian Church are to participate in premarital preparation either offered by or approved by Olivet.
2. Couples being married at Olivet must have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and must be committed to establishing a Christian home.
3. Divorced persons may be considered for marriage at Olivet should they meet one of these Biblical criteria…
• former spouse is deceased (Romans 7:2, I Corinthians 7:39)
• divorce occurred prior to conversion (II Corinthians 5:17)
• divorce occurred because of sexual unfaithfulness by spouse (Matthew 19:3-9)
• desertion by an unbelieving spouse (I Corinthians 7:15)
• former spouse initiated divorce and has remarried (Romans 7:3)

If a divorced person answers negatively in all cases, acknowledging that other extenuating circumstances often relate to divorce, a meeting with a panel of elders may be arranged if desired by the couple to consider their individual case.

No marriages after divorce of a spouse will be performed until at least one year has passed from the time the divorce is finalized.

4. In case of premarital pregnancy, the marriage may or may not be performed depending on the maturity of the persons involved and other considerations.
5. Couples must remain celibate and not live together at any time prior to the wedding ceremony. Our ministers will not perform the ceremony if the couple is living at the same address.
6. No minister on the Olivet staff will marry a couple if another minister of the church has refused to perform the ceremony based on spiritual reasons.
7. We do not marry couples if either person is under the influence of alcohol or drugs (other than those prescribed by a doctor) before or during the rehearsal and/or wedding.