The minister of the church, known as Reverend Eze Ogba, refused to marry a groom and bride on Sunday, November 26, due to rumours that the woman was pregnant. This caused chaos at the Assemblies of God Church, Ehere, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia state.
According to Vanguard, the ceremony was scheduled to take place after church service, and the pair, named as Mr Isreal Kennedy and his wife, Miss Rose, together with their relatives, had attended the church. When the bride’s pregnancy was discovered through a pregnancy test that the church leadership had ordered, trouble began.
The Church’s priest declared that the wedding was called off in the wake of the events. The couple’s suspension was also declared by the church administration.
The incident caused turmoil in the church as the bride, who was being interviewed by the priest and was pleading her innocence, was being interviewed while the families frantically tried to get the church board to reverse the decision. It was rumoured that the relatives of the bride and groom attended a local church where the wedding was done. The reception ceremony was held at the new church as well.
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According to a church member who requested anonymity, it is Assemblies of God Church custom to refuse to marry pregnant women, regardless of their marital status.
“It is the tradition of the Assemblies of God Church not to wed pregnant brides, it is not a new thing. The groom and bride who presented themselves for the wedding knew that the Church could not join them in matrimony because the bride was already pregnant. They were to be joined after the service when the result of the test ordered by the church would have been ready. After conducting the pregnancy test on the bride, the church found out that she was pregnant and announced that the wedding was cancelled.”
Given the significant amount of money the families had to spend getting ready for the wedding, some churchgoers believed the church should have approved the ceremony and then punished the couple.
