Appendix: A Rite of Betrothal before Marriage

Summary

This rite is in use in the parish church of St Mary Magdalene, Bolney, a small village in Sussex, England. It takes place in the parish eucharist, at the Peace. It has also been adopted by the Anglican Diocese of Koforidua-Ho in the Eastern Region of Ghana. It is reproduced here by kind permission of the Vicar of Bolney, the Revd. Canon Reg Harcus. It is based in part on The Alternative Service Book 1980 of the Church of England. While the rite does not (and legally could not) contain several of the characteristics of betrothal described in this book (e.g., it is ‘before’ marriage, and there is reference to engagement ring(s)), it is a fine local response to pastoral need, expertly grounded in history and theology .

BETROTHAL BEFORE MARRIAGE

The Introduction

Dear friends, we are gathered together in the presence of God to witness the betrothal of N. and N., and to rejoice with them as they commit themselves to their forthcoming marriage.

N. and N., marriage is a gift of God and a means of his grace in which a man and a woman become one flesh. It is God's purpose that, as husband and wife give themselves to each other in love, they shall grow together and be united in that love as Christ is united to his Church.