In an effort to address issues within Christian weddings, a church in Shanxi Province, Northern China, organized a training workshop for wedding officiants.
From August 2–3, Chengqu Church in Jincheng held a Christian wedding officiant training on the seventh floor of their church building. There were 13 young believers present for the lecture by Mr. and Mrs. Fan Lei.
The wedding ceremony incorporates four key elements: collective witness, teaching and encouragement, covenant commitment, and gratitude and blessings.
A wedding serves as both a testimony and a commitment between the couples, whether they are in poverty or wealth, in health or illness, and they will always stand by each other. However, due to the lack of standardized Christian wedding procedures and trained Christian officiants, the sanctity of these ceremonies is sometimes compromised.
Therefore, the church organized this training, which started every day with morning exercises. The instructors demonstrated and explained each step, from relaxing the facial muscles to practicing the flexibility and strength of the lips and tongue, from learning diaphragmatic breathing to finding the best vocalization techniques, from tongue twisters to complex enunciations. Individual guidance was provided to lead the participants through their exercises.
The formal training encompassed the wedding procedure, preparations, rehearsals, pre-wedding communication, the flow of ceremony content, important considerations during diverse segments of the wedding process, and strategies for handling unexpected situations.
As the training drew to a close, the instructors engaged in communication and dialogue with the participants, observing their growth and transformation and feeling inspired by their devotion to the cause.
- Translated by Poppy Chan
