NASHVILLE, Tenn. — American Protestant pastors have widely
varying standards for when they will and will not perform wedding ceremonies,
according to a new survey by LifeWay Research.
The survey of 1,000 randomly selected Protestant pastors found that a majority
(58 percent) will perform weddings for couples they know are living together.
Nearly a third (31 percent) will not, and 10 percent are not sure.
The survey’s results, published in the summer edition of LifeWay’s Facts and
Trends magazine, also found that only five percent of pastors will not perform
a marriage ceremony if the bride or groom has been divorced. The majority (61
percent) will perform a ceremony for a divorced person “depending on the reason
for the divorce” while 31 percent will perform a ceremony for a divorced person
“regardless of the reason for the divorce.”
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“Marriage is a much-debated topic today and we wanted to see how Protestant
pastors handled marriage requests,” said Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay
Research. “Like the churches they serve, their standards for whom they will
perform marriages vary greatly.”
When it comes to cohabitating couples, pastors who consider themselves mainline
are more likely to perform weddings then those who consider themselves
evangelical.
In response to the question, “Will you perform a marriage ceremony for a couple
whom you know is living together?” 68 percent of mainline pastors say yes
compared with 57 percent of evangelicals. Twenty-four percent of mainline
pastors and 34 percent of evangelicals say no.
A minister’s level of education also reveals differences in pastors’
willingness to perform marriage ceremonies for couples who are living together.
A full 62 percent of pastors with at least a master’s degree will marry
cohabitating couples while only 52 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or
less will perform weddings for couples living together before marriage.
Twenty-nine percent of pastors with at least a master’s degree will not perform
such ceremonies compared with 36 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or
less.
Mainline and evangelical pastors divide again on the issue of performing
marriages for divorced people. In response to the question, “When asked to do
so, will you perform a marriage ceremony if the man or woman has been divorced?”:
- 41 percent of mainline pastors say, “Yes, regardless of the reason,” compared
with 29 percent of evangelicals.
- 55 percent of mainline and 65 percent of evangelical pastors answer, “Yes,
depending on the reason.”
- Only two percent of mainline pastors and five percent of evangelical pastors
answer, “No.”
The poll was conducted in October 2010
(EDITOR’S NOTE — Roach is a pastor and writer in Shelbyville,
Ky.)