Getting Married at Cumnor United Reformed Church
Our church was first registered for the celebration of Marriages in August 1917 when it was a Congregational Chapel. Over the century since the majority of weddings have been of couples with some existing connection with Cumnor or with the Church. In 1972 we became a United Reformed Church. However, the invitation to hold your marriage service in our church has never been exclusive and we have been open to be approached by any couple who wish to be married in our church.
On the 4th of June 2017 we were delighted to welcome couples, whether man and women or a couple of the same sex, to be married here. Cumnor United Reformed Church was registered for the marriage of same sex couples in May 2017.
The procedure and our criteria for deciding whether it is appropriate to agree that a couple should be married in our church:
- In the United Reformed Church it is usual for the Minister to interview couples seeking marriage to establish whether that would be right for them, and right for the church.
- In that interview the Minister will invite them to share the story of how they come to be seeking marriage, in particular he or she will seek to establish that:
1. Theirs is a stable, loving and committed relationship built on equality of regard.
2. Where relevant, that issues arising from previous relationships have been resolved.
- The Minister will explore with them their past engagement with church or faith groups and seek to establish that they have sound reasons for wishing to be married in church, rather than in a civil setting.
- Having explored these issues with the couple in interview the Minister will provide the Elders of the congregation with a confidential note of the reasons for agreeing, or not agreeing, to conduct the marriage, so that this is a decision made on behalf of the whole congregation.
For couples whose wedding is to be in Cumnor United Reformed Church there are some further formalities. The legal provision under which Cumnor United Reformed Church is registered for the conduct of marriages requires all couples to give notice to the Superintendent Registrar and for a Registrar to be present during the service. Thus the date agreed for the wedding will depend upon the wishes of the couple, the availability of the Registrar and of the Minister. Other arrangements, such as the provision of an organist, floral decorations and so on can be discussed once the other matters have been agreed.
In the first instance please contact either the Associate Minister, Revd Nigel Appleton on 01865 883515 or AppletonA@aol.com or Church Secretary: Mrs Beryl Parmenter on 01865 300633 or b.parmenter@btinternet.com