FBC Wedding Policy

Pastor Todd Goulet


Congratulations on your engagement!

The weight and importance of marriage cannot be overstated. Marriage is a God-given institution. It is something to be honored and celebrated. It is a commitment for life. I pray your marriage will honor our Lord in everything you do and say. 


Building Use: We are not a venue that is available to rent for weddings, therefore any wedding ceremony performed at First Baptist Church must be officiated by the Senior Pastor or someone approved by the Senior Pastor. Those who wish to be married must still agree to the expectations in this agreement.


I have four expectations that you BOTH MUST agree to before I will agree to perform your wedding. 


Expectation 1: Both the man and woman are believers in Jesus Christ. 


  • Please understand that I perform weddings for couples where both the man and woman are Christians. My role is that of a Christian minister. I cannot be a part of a wedding where neither the husband nor the wife is fully committed to Christ. The most essential foundation of a marriage is the faith commitment of the couple. Both the husband and wife must demonstrate when they meet with me that they profess Christ as their Lord and Savior and share with me the specifics of their Christian testimony. If you are still deciding about your faith, I would happily share what it means to be a Christian. 


Expectation 2: Sexual intimacy will be reserved until after you are married. 


  • The Bible also teaches that intimate or sexual relations must be limited to marriage between a man and a woman. Any other sexual relationship is sinful. If you are currently sexually active, you must indicate your desire to repent of your sin. If you are living together, you must be willing to live apart from one another until you are married. If you cannot live apart from one another, I am willing to do an immediate ceremony for you. You can get the marriage license, and we can perform an informal ceremony so that you can glorify God with your marriage. We can then repeat the ceremony later for friends, family, etc., in a traditional setting.


Expectation 3: Receive Premarital Counseling 


  • I must require any couple planning to marry to receive premarital counseling. I have several choices I can recommend to you. If you want me to do the counseling, we will meet on average at least four times before the ceremony. 


Expectation 4: As a Christian married couple, you promise never to divorce unless for biblical reasons.


  • Finally, if there is any reason you think may cause you to divorce your spouse, deal with it now if there is any thought at all that they are not your one and only spouse.