The controversial Nigerian pastor, Dr.Abel Damina of Power City International, Uyo, has admonished members of his congregation to avoid unnecessary spending of resources and money in the name of organizing ‘white wedding’. The man of God explained that wedding ceremony organised and done in the church (white wedding) is not recorded nor recommended anywhere in the bible, hence, christians should avoid spend extravagantly in the name of doing church Wedding.

‘White Wedding’ is a Nigerian term given to the marriage ceremony or rites Performed in the church with the presence of the man of God, the congregation, family members, friends and other invited guests. This particular celebration which is usually done before or after traditional marriage by couples usually involves a lot of spending due to the personal and societal demands and expectations attached to it.

Pastor Abel Damina, in his recent teaching in his Kingdom Life Network Bible Teaching Programme, advised christians that the most important and focal thing in marriage is for the groom to have the consent and blessings of the wife’s parent if he and his woman have agreed in love and dedication to be together in marriage. The pastor also added that once the man has successfully paid the woman’s bride price or dowry, the woman has legally, culturally, traditionally, customary and spiritually become become his wife even without any other form of large celebration in the community or in the church.

Pastor Damina took time to explain the economic implications and stress some young couples ignorantly put themselves into in their attempt to satisfy or meet the taste of the society while doing their white wedding. According to the pastor in his Tuesday Live streaming online bible teaching, “Some young brothers can borrow up to 1 million naira in the name of doing white wedding, starting their marriage in the foundation of debts. Get sense, there is nothing like white wedding in the bible. Stop borrowing money just to impress anyone in the name of white wedding. You finished your marriage the very moment you paid your bride price to your in-laws and got their consent and blessings”.

Dr. Damina however explained that a man has the option of taking his wife to the the church, anytime any day, for the pastor to pray for and bless their marriage. Nevertheless, this, according to the pastor, does not need any special planning and unnecessary spending.

According to the pastor, the money that most Nigerian young men spend in doing white wedding is enough for them to use in establishing a good business which would in turn generate adequate income to the new family.