Founder and General Overseer of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, has urged young men preparing for marriage to resist the pressure of organising extravagant weddings that could leave them financially burdened.
Preaching to his congregation, the respected clergyman stressed the need for couples to focus on building their future rather than exhausting their savings or borrowing money for a single day’s celebration.
“Most of the foolish things we do are to use our money for unnecessary things. For weddings, we go and buy all these white dresses and suits. We spend all the money on weddings,” he lamented.
According to Archbishop Duncan-Williams, many men who borrow money to fund lavish weddings later face serious frustrations, as creditors constantly call demanding repayment.
“So people have come, you’ve dressed nicely, but you are in debt, and they are calling for their money. Your phone is ringing and somebody says, the money you collected, when can I have it? And you can’t tell the lady that you borrowed money just to do shows.”
Sharing his own personal experience, the Archbishop revealed that he married at the age of 21 or 22 without a proper understanding of marriage, but mainly due to societal pressure.
“You could tell that this guy was confused. I was like a sheep carried to the slaughter. I had no idea of what I was doing. I had no idea what marriage was – I was just told I should marry, so I married.”
“He counselled the youth not to give in to family or societal pressure, adding that parents who wish to spend large sums on weddings should rather provide the money to support the marriage itself.
“If I were you, I would take that money they want to spend on the wedding and use it for other important things in the marriage. Just come to the office, sign the documents, we bless you, you kiss one another, and go home,” he advised.
