Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-11-16
POPULAR DEMAND
MAY STRIKE obey
FROM ALTAR VOW
Baptist Ministers Discuss
Probable G. hange in
Wedding Ceremony.
PREACHER CIVIL OFFICER
IN MARRIAGE CEREMONY
DR.. Broughton Raises Question
of Divine Command to Per
form Solemn Rite.

Widespread tendencies 20 rcjec: all
authority are Responsible for the
popular demand that tho brides vow
OF obedience be stricken from the
marriage ceremony, Dr. George Bray-
ton Taylor, professor OF religion a;
iioilins College. told several hun
drcd baptist preachers yesterday at
The opening session of tho Virginia
Pastors Conference. assembled at
First Baptist Church. Discussion Of
the tendency TO str!k. "and obey
from the ceremony was the feature
Of the days sessions. The conference
Will end with 4 session this morning
and Ia the prelude to the convention
OF the baptist Genera! Association.
which opens this afternoon.
True liberty is always dependent
upon a proper exercise of authority.
and who is shc iiiial authority in a
DR.. Taylor said in his address yes
terday.
Let n minister have his own mar
riagc ceremony and his own order
of service for a funeral. but let him
not be so obscssed with the excel
lcnce OF his own forms AZ to be un-
willing to use another form or to
modify his own. Since we are given
large liberty In these exercises we
should guard against slovenlincss
and ccccn;ric!tics of dress and Ian
guasc and manner. Many persons
prefer the s:creotypcd forms OF
liturgical churches. At least on these
occasions. because -aey. do no care
To run the risk OF having n minister.
IN these high moments Of sorrow ami
Joy, say and do things that arc crude
and in bad taste"
Snys Marriage u No Joke.
DIT. Calvin s. Blackwell, OF Norfolk.
who said no had been preaching
,vffty-thrcc years and had married
'i.tT2 couples. said, ''Courtsh.p and
marriage Is tho rountain head of life
and Is no joke"
Dr. Len q. Broughton. pastor
OF Grove Avenue Church. Rich
nond. raised the question whether
the preacher has any divine command
or scriptural example for perform
ing wedding ceremonies At all. While
he did not propose a thorough dis
cusslon of the subject, he was of the
opinion that when minister ofIi-
ciatcd at weddings he WAS acting as
civil officer and that il was n
purely personal matter as TO whether
he felt warranted In marrying per-
sons who had proper legal authority
for being SO united IL was mani
fest that the conference did not agree
with the theory OF Or. Broughton.
hut much humor was injected into
the discussion by experiences which
the famous preacher related. The
discussion was closed by DIR. McFar-
land. who believed the story OF Eden
and other scriptures. save marriage
Il religious status and who urged
preachers 10 proceed with caution in
the matter OF marrying persons who
had been divorced.
During the discussion Rev. J.. II
Sudd;th. rural pastor. added much
interest by his attacks upon the cur
rent practices. especially in the mat :
ter of marrying divorced persons.
1t was also pointed out that many
people have robbed marriage OF It's
sentiment and that some parents do
not try to make their child's we'd
ding happy and ng-to-bc-remem-
bercd occasion. 'It Is little wonder
that for many young people marriage
is duh and drab. an arrangement
Tor getting COOK or securing a
means OF support"
Devotional exercises were IN charge
OF Rev. T.. S. Bobbitt. of BRAKES
Branch.
Rev. r. a. Mcfarland. pas.or o.
Rivernont Avenue Church in Lynch
Continued on Second pnr,l