How to Get Married in the Pentecostal Church

Many religions have set guidelines and expectations for couples wishing to enter the sanctity of marriage. The Pentecostal Church is no exception. In order to have a Pentecostal wedding, there are a few guidelines that couples are asked to follow in order to have a proper wedding. Here is how to get married in the Pentecostal Church.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

The Engagement Covenant

1. Abide by the covenant of belief. It is a belief in the Pentecostal church that God wants Christians to be married to fellow Christians, so there must be evidence that you and your intended have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior.
2. Abstain from sexual relations until after the wedding has taken place. This is known as the covenant of purity, and comes from the belief that sexual relations between men and women are intended only for the bonds of marriage.
3. Live separately until the marriage. This is another term of the covenant of purity, as the Pentecostal church sees cohabitation before marriage as compromising to Christian witness.
4. Enter the covenant of faithfulness by agreeing to keep Christ as a central focus throughout your marriage. This includes a life based on true faith and continued participation in His church.
5. Realize that the minister who will marry you and your fiancée reserve the right to deny services if either feels that the obligations to this covenant have not been met.

The Pentecostal Wedding

6. Agree upon a Pentecostal pastor to reside over the ceremony. It should be someone that you and your fiancée are comfortable with, as you will most likely be involved in many sit-down sessions with this person to establish your readiness to be married.
7. Discuss ceremony procedures with your chosen church to determine what will be allowed in terms of decorations, music and vows. Typically, these things will fall into the category of Pentecostal church services, especially in regards to the music chosen for the ceremony.
8. Determine if any verses or scriptures will be shared during the ceremony in addition to the traditional wedding prayers.
9. Plan a traditional-style wedding. Pentecostal weddings are fairly similar to other marriages,so choose a white gown for the bride, a tuxedo for the groom and expect to exchange rings and vows.
10. Follow Pentecostal guidelines for the reception following the ceremony. In most cases, alcohol, dancing and tobacco are not permitted.

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