THE Church of Scotland should begin touting for business at wedding fairs, a former Moderator has urged.
Faced in the number of humanist ceremonies, which now outstrip church weddings, the Very Rev Dr John Chalmers believes it is now time to explore other paths.
The former honourary chaplain to the Queen said that in his younger days “we conducted weddings week in and week out”
He added: “Almost 40 years ago, as a young minister in the west of Scotland, I could not have imagined such a sea change in society.”
Writing in Life And Work the, the Kirk’s magazine, he said: “It was considered and expectation to attend the reception and act as the master of ceremonies. To refuse an invitation was considered an insult.
“Ministers today are taking stalls at wedding fairs in order to offer couples who may be thinking of getting married an invitation to include God in the most special event of their lives.”
Last year the Rev Mary Ann Rennie said that the church was almost doing itself a disservice by not attending wedding fairs.
“We expect people just to come to us but the reality is that is not Christian faith,” she said.
“It is about going to where the public is and a recognition there are people already going to wedding fairs who offer a different understanding of marriage.
“So if we want to put our understanding of marriage out there, then we have to be at fairs explaining that.”
She added: “Jesus did not hide in the synagogue, he was out there talking to people and for me that is what it is all about at the deepest level.”
Rev Rennie and Rev Monika Redman presided over an information stand at the Glen Wedding Show at the Glen Pavilion in Dunfermline to explain to couples why they should consider getting married in a “safe, sacred place”.
They said the event, backed by Dunfermline Presbytery, marked the first time the Kirk had taken part in a wedding fair in Fife and showed a desire to reach out to different people.
Mrs Redman of the town’s St Leonard’s Church said: “Marriage is such a significant moment in people’s lives and the church is there to ensure a life-time commitment is made better and better.”
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