IT was pomp and fanfare at the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ)’s annual conference at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo when their leader Archbishop Johannes Ndanga solemnised a mass wedding of over 2 000 couples on Saturday.
Congratulating the couples, Archbishop Ndanga expressed concern over an increase in divorce cases in the country involving both young couples and opinion leaders.
He however, urged the couples to put God first in their marriages so that they can appreciate challenges that go with married life, adding that those couples who face problems should approach elders or church leaders for counselling rather than resorting to divorcing.
“The rate at which cases of divorce cases are rising in the country is worrying. People should know that God created marriage and it is not merely two people in a relationship but three, that is husband, wife and God.
“God also created men and women in His own image and it’s reasonable to conclude that they can never be complete apart from a relationship with Him. And as long as men and women remain incomplete as individuals, it follows that something vital will always be missing from their relationship with one another.
“As Christians, we are convinced that the most fundamental of all relationships, our relationship with the Creator, can be sealed and secured in only one way — through faith in Jesus Christ,“ he said while quoting from Genesis 1:27 and John 14:6.
Archbishop Ndanga further advised the couples against adultery, saying “what you might look for in another strange man or woman already exists in your partner.”
Another solemnised couple, who refused to be named, said they were very happy to be married at such a colourful big event.
“This is wonderful and we are very happy to be part of this event,” they said.
Among the couples who were solemnised were also bishops from different denominations that falls under the ACCZ.