A Statement on the Practice of Marriage at Hyattsville Mennonite Church
We affirm, bless and support those among us who have chosen or choose to publicly declare their commitment to each other in holy marriage.
- We believe that marriage is a God-given gift that celebrates the human expressions of love and partnership, and
- We are called to live that gift out fully in a responsible, lifelong, committed and faithful covenant.
- We rejoice in the work of the Spirit in the lives of those who make such covenants.
- We recognize that marriage is not just the initial vows of a couple but a lifelong relationship which is affected by and affects the larger community and so
- We pledge as a congregation to work to strengthen all marriages, to minister with truth and compassion, and to offer a sanctuary for hope and healing.
We empower our pastors to participate in marriage celebrations as they are led to do so, trusting in the individual and congregational discernment they have undergone with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We commit ourselves — as a congregation — to continue to be led by the Holy Spirit in our decision making while we examine what it means to follow Jesus in the Anabaptist tradition. We recognize that as a congregation we are not always in agreement and that this statement and practice may have painful consequences.
With humility we acknowledge that our covenant of faith compels us to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” and to labor together “until we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure to the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:3, 13) It is in this spirit of unity that we go forward.