By Oyinlola Awonuga Balogun (The New Diplomat’s Entertainment, Fashion and Sports Desk)
Nigerians have condemned the decision of the Senior Pastor of the Fulfilling World Foundation Church, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, refusing to wed a couple after they arrived 5 minutes late to the venue of their wedding.
Nigerians reacting to the viral video on Instagram concluded and commented that the blessings of marriage is from the parents of both parties but people do not adhere.
In the video making rounds on the internet, church members and wedding guests in the church in Port Harcourt engaged in a verbal fight.
According to reports from the scenario, the pastor went to his office and declined to wed them at the appointed time despite pleas.
He left the couple waiting for one hour and allegedly said he will wed them at his own convenience inside his office, not in the church anymore as expected.
At some points the bride broke down in tears while the groom tried to console her outside the church building.
Those defending the pastor clashed with those who were on the side of the heartbroken couple.
Sharing footage from the Fulfilling Word Foundation church, the wedding photographer wrote: “Annoying events at the wedding I was covering today in PH.
“The couple came 5 minutes late and pastor left the church, kept us for 1 hour and said he’ll join them in his office after returning. Some pastors are feeling like God.”
Eventually, the couple got tired of waiting for the pastor and got another person to serve as their officiating pastor.
Since the exchange of vows couldn’t hold in the initial pastor’s church, they did that in a hotel.
“Wedding done back at the hotel with a stand in pastor,” the photographer later gave an update.
Read Some Reactions: @Blakkgolde. “The man should have driven away.I won’t attend that church again.This happens because people place so much importance on marriage.
“Traditional marriage and is enough for people but people must waste money on white wedding.
@Oyemen_gold: “My gf was late to her church wedding but they still wedded them.This is the height of wickedness.”
“Regardless of anything it is totally unfair. For goodness sake this one is a special day in the lives of this couple so why was it so hard to the priest to be considerate. Regardless of our sinful ways, God still pardons and forgives us.Oh if men were God….”@Prolific_danhez
“I feel so embarrassed this is someone’s big day and somebody decided to spoil it.Thank God the couple were still able to smile at the end of the day.” @Slimkiki
However, as at the time of this reporting, neither the church nor the minister has spoken on the development to give reasons and protocols on why the holy solemnization failed to hold as planned at the church.
