What is marriage?
Marriage is the lifelong union of one Man and one Woman to the exclusion of all others. The Standards of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland maintain that: “Since the beginning of creation God, in his gracious purpose, provided marriage as the accepted way in which a man and a woman may come together as husband and wife. This is the only basis on which marriage can take place within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.”
Who can be married? What does PCI believe?
- All Men and Women can be married within the bounds given in the scriptures and in accord with the standards of the church.
- Divorce and remarriage are permissible for the injured party in the cases of adultery and desertion but not outside those bounds.
- It is the duty of all professing Christians on the communicant role to maintain the highest standards of Christian discipleship including the way they approach marriage- this means that Christian are to marry only in the Lord as we read in the scriptures: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (2nd Corinthians 6:14-18). This is the stated position of the Presbyterian church in Ireland which maintains that “Christians should only marry Christians.”
- Cohabitation before marriage is not compatible with a credible profession of faith or in accord with Christian discipleship.
Preparing for Marriage
Any couple seeking marriage should be open and honest with the minister, including previous marriage relationships, and should make themselves fully aware of the position of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland regarding marriage before any marriage can take place. This includes both the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 24 and the Marriage booklet entitled “Getting married in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland”- both of these are available from the Minister.
Couples cohabiting should repent of their sin and seek to be married at the earliest possible opportunity.
With the Ministers consent, couples seeking marriage must attend the marriage preparation classes organised by the Newry Presbytery or an agreed equivalent.
The Minister will only conduct marriages that are in accord with the above standards.
Adopted by the Kirk Session on 30-4-21
First Newry (Sandys Street) Presbyterian Church 