First wedding

Saturday, the day before I officially became head pastor of Bible Baptist Church, I got to officiate my first wedding. The couple has been a delight to work with -- he, originally from Zacatecas, Mexico, was saved through the jail ministry, and left behind a life of drugs, drinking, and violence to become one of the most faithful and energetic servants of the Lord in the church. She, raised in a sheltered home here in NC, is the church's pianist.

The wedding was simple and brief, with the longest part being a (still rather short) salvation message for the benefit of his unsaved family (he requested this especially). As weddings go, it ,may have been the easiest I'll ever perform.

There was still some confusion, though -- entirely my fault. See, these little things called marriage licenses are really important, apparently. And, here in NC at least, they give the couple not one, but two. And the pastor and both witnesses have to sign both of them. (Apparently, a photocopy just won't cut it for Vital Records or the Register of Deeds.) Well, with all the picture taking and whatnot, when I had the witnesses sign, I only had them sign the top copy! So that left me Sunday and Monday scrambling to find the witnesses again and have them sign the bottom copy. Fortunately, both of them chose witnesses that live relatively locally -- it could have been a lot worse!