Marriage

 

The past few decades has seen a dramatic shift in Canadian attitudes toward marriage. The following is a brief overview of the perspectives and practices on Marriage at Kanata Baptist Church.

We believe that marriage is a holy institution given to us by God for our comfort, support, encouragement and well-being.  It is the cornerstone of a healthy family life and provides the context form lasting, loving relationships for husband and wife as well as a nurturing, stable and caring environment for the growth and development of children.

We understand marriage to be the union of one man and one woman for life; to the exclusion of all others. This is clear in the teaching of Jesus (Mark 10:6-9) and remains the message and practice of our congregation.

Couples who are interested in marriage should contact the church office. Some preliminary details will be discussed and a first contact with a Pastor will be set up. All of our Pastors require that couples go through some marriage preparation classes in order to establish a good foundation for a lasting and happy marriage.

While it is a popular belief that living together is virtually the same thing as marriage, we would caution against this wrong assumption. Research has shown that people who cohabit before they marry are at a much greater risk of breakup. One study has shown that children whose parents cohabit without marrying are 5 times as likely to experience a parental breakup as children in a married family. Study after study shows that married couples tend to be happier, healthier, wealthier and they live longer (http://marriage.rutgers.edu/).  Exchanging vows of fidelity in a public gathering, blessed by God and recognized by the state, provides a more secure foundation upon which to build a future for yourself and your family.

We believe that the marriage commitment should remain unbroken for life. For this reason, we also offer ministries from time to time to assist couples in keeping their marriage relationship strong and fresh. In addition, we provide pastoral support and encouragement to couples who are experiencing marital difficulties. We also refer couples to local counseling services when more intensive work is needed to restore a healthy relationship dynamic.

Finally, we acknowledge that people, for various reasons, experience brokenness and heartbreak in their lives and may find that their hopes and dreams for loving relationships and family may not have turned out the way they imagined. It is our experience that God brings help, healing and forgiveness into our lives and, when necessary and appropriate, allows us to begin again.