The Tribune

AS part of the celebrations of the nation’s 40th anniversary, Grace Community Church, in conjunction with Rex Major and Associates, will conduct a special ceremony to honour all couples married in the year the Bahamas became independent.

Seventeen years ago, on the last Sunday of June, Grace Community Church began the practice of recognising couples that remained married for 50 years or more in a ceremony called Marriage Is Honourable.

“In consideration of our nation’s 40th year celebration, we have adjusted for this year, to honour persons married for 40 years and toward this end we invited all couples married in 1973 to be a part of this special ceremony,” said the church in a statement.

“Essentially, the ceremony is a renewal of vows and a pledge to uphold marriage and family life. The ceremony follows the pattern of a marriage ceremony with all the frills of the processional of the couples, the vows to remain married, the wedding music and a powerful message, not to be missed, by Dr Major on the role of the family in national life.”

The church yesterday sent out a call to all couples that were married in 1973 to call 394-7223, or visit www.gracechurchbahamas.com and download the application form.

All participating couples will receive a special 40th anniversary token of their participation.

“It is important to register so that proper preparations may be made to accommodate all participants meaningfully,” the statement said.

“We wish to stress that this is also open to all family island residents that wish to participate.”

Grace Community said they are proud to have Dr Rex Major as the speaker for the occasion, because he is one of only two surviving clergy that participated in the original independence ceremony 40 years ago.

“Dr Major is eminently qualified to speak to the issue of family life for he has for the past 50 plus years spoke profoundly on the subject.

“In 1982, Rex Major and Associates launched a full year of activities, perhaps one of the most intense national outreach programmes promoting family life through the Let’s Celebrate the Family: Living In Love Together outreach,” the statement noted.

“In 1995, he conducted Help For The Family, challenging the nation on the virtues of traditional marriage and family life. Rallies were conducted in Nassau, Spanish Wells, Governor’s Habour, Long Island, Grand Bahama and Abaco. So we are privileged to have Dr Major to speak to the nation on this occasion.”

Grace Community Church invited the entire community to take part in this celebration of marriage and family life, set to be held in Rawson Square on Sunday, August 25 at 6.30pm.