Congratulations on your decision to get married. This is truly one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. Jesus House Baltimore is happy to be a part of this most important event in your lives.

A premarital counseling course is offered to engaged couples and married couples without prior counseling experience. This is an eight week session that covers crucial topics to help build a solid foundation for marriage. The couples have the opportunity to learn biblical principles and address practical issues in preparation for a Godly, successful marriage.

The department also provides a wedding coordinator for couples that plan to have their wedding ceremony performed by the church. The coordinator overlooks the rehearsals and preparations for the wedding ceremony.

Everyone who would like to be married by Jesus House Baltimore must complete the following requirements:

Step 1: Obtain approval from Pastor Tola Odutola

• 1) Make an appointment with the church secretary to see the senior Pastor. Both participants are required to meet with Pastor. In the event of extreme circumstances precluding the feasibility of this occurring (eg the fiancé/fiancée is not currently domiciled in North America, there could be exceptions but this is taken on a case by case basis)
• 2) Obtain the approval form from the church office (or down load it) and have Pastor Tola sign the form during your visit. This will indicate clearance for you participate in premarital counseling.
• 3) Pick up the premarital counseling forms from the church office
• 4) Fill out the premarital counseling forms completely and return it as well as the approval forms to the church office. The forms should be returned in a sealed envelope addressed to the Family and Marriage Department. A representative from the family and marriage department will be in touch to inform you on the specifics of the class.

Step 2: Enroll in premarital counseling class – each couple needs to successfully complete the class, which is defined by the following:

• 1) Weekly attendance with no absences allowed
• 2) Arriving late twice counts as one absence
• 3) Each couple must complete the final project as assigned

Step 3: Wedding Date and Time

• 1) The wedding date needs to be proposed to the church office before, or at the latest 6 months before the proposed date
• 2) The wedding date must be approved and scheduled through the church office
• 3) The couple must obtain the marriage license three months before the wedding date
• 4) A copy of the marriage license must be turned into the church office no later than eight weeks before the wedding date
• 5) Obtain a copy of the Wedding Registration Form and return it to the church office eight weeks before the wedding date. The church wedding coordinator will then contact you
• 6) If the couple must have a court wedding, this must be approved by the senior Pastor and must not be done more than four weeks before the church wedding is scheduled.

Step 4: Qualifications for marriage

• 1) Both parties are required to have attended Jesus House Baltimore for a contiguous amount of time of at least one year. If recently relocated or from a different church, he/she must be able to submit a letter of attestation from the senior Pastor of the church they currently attend or attended
• 2) The couple must not be cohabitating
• 3) The couple cannot have been divorced.

Step 5: Wedding Attire

• 1) The bride and bridesmaids must have modest attire (no cleavage should be visible)
• 2) If the dresses are deemed immodest, the church reserves the right to request the bride or bridesmaids to wear a cover-up.