Still Using the Reformed Marriage Form?
Professor Barry Gritters examines the history and current practice of the Protestant Reformed Churches' official marriage confirmation form, particularly following the 2000 revision of the Church Order. The article traces how Article 70 was modified to allow for private wedding ceremonies where the adopted form is optional, reflecting a shift in the PRC's understanding of marriage as not necessarily requiring ecclesiastical oversight.
The Protestant Reformed Churches' "Form for the Confirmation of Marriage Before the Church" was originally drafted and adopted by official decision to be used in all weddings. Today it is not always used in PRC weddings. When Protestant Reformed young men and women marry, some ministers modify and re-word the form; some use other forms. These ministers are not disobeying any church regulations, and this introductory paragraph is not criticism of them. But the story behind the form, and our use...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org