MARRIAGE AFTER CONVERSION INFORMATION
Please be aware that not all applicants and/or their current spouse who have had the life experience of a divorce and remarriage after their conversion to the Apostolic faith will qualify for ALJC membership. Accordingto the ALJC Constitution, the only acceptable reason granting membership involving remarriage for either the applicant or their spouse after conversion is, “where fornication or adultery is proven as grounds for divorce by the applicant and his or her spouse.”
Please carefully read the following Article of Faith and ALJC Constitutional paragraph in order to help you determine if you qualify for membership. If you have any questions after thoroughly reading the following, please contact the District Superintendent or District Secretary for the District of your residence and discuss your situation.
ALJC ARTICLES OF FAITH - MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
The Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ believes that people are created by God in His image as male or female. The Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ subscribes to the historical and orthodox Biblical view of marriage as the covenantal union before God of one man and one woman for life, which may be properly dissolved only in limited circumstances as set forth in the Bible. (Matthew 19)
Additionally, since procreation is one of the primary purposes of God’s design for sex, the Bible teaches that sex is reserved for marriage and that premarital or extramarital sexual behavior (whether homosexual or heterosexual) is sinful. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, and attempting to change one’s biological gender or otherwise acting upon any disagreement with one’s biological gender) or advocacy of sexual immorality is sinful and offensive to God.
Although God’s grace is sufficient to cover and bring restoration from any sin, violation of God’s design for marriage and human sexuality (including gender identity) causes tremendous harm and long-term consequences to the persons involved and to our society as a whole.
We believe that in order to preserve the mission and integrity of the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, all members shall agree to and abide by this policy on marriage and human sexuality. Therefore, every minister holding license with Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, and every volunteer or paid employee working for the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, is to adhere to the Biblical standard of abstaining from sex outside of marriage, and no behavior or advocacy of the homosexual, transgender, or other alternative lifestyles will be permitted.
This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, and is the sole and final source of all that we believe.
For matters regarding faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline within the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, the General Board of the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ is the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
“Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery” (Matthew 5:32; 19:9).
In order to lift a higher standard in the ministry, no minister shall be accepted in this organization who has married for the second time after his conversion, unless the first marriage was terminated by a death, or if he/she is determined to be the innocent party in the divorce. See General Constitution Article VIII, Section 5.
ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 5. MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
“Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery.” (Matthew 5:32)
“And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” (Matthew 19:9)
1. In order to lift up a higher standard in the ministry, no minister shall be accepted in this organization where he or she or their spouse has been remarried after their conversion unless a previous marriage was terminated by a death, except in those cases where fornication or adultery is proven as grounds for divorce by the applicant and his or her spouse. Sufficient evidence, including, but not limited to those documents listed herein must be presented to the District Board considering the applicant for license.
This requirement applies as well to reinstated members and current members who fall into this category. Reinstated members shall provide all required affidavits with their reinstatement petition. Current members who divorce and remarry while holding membership must provide all required affidavits to their District Secretary, before their remarriage. The District Board shall have 30 days from receipt of all required affidavits to process reinstatement petitions and current member divorce and remarriage occurrences, determine its findings and forward any District Board approved incidents on to the General Secretary for Executive Board processing.
2. Documents required with the application: Complete court documents of divorce, including a copy of the divorce decree; applicant’s personal affidavit of the cause for divorce; affidavits of 2 or 3 credible witnesses, with personal knowledge of the fornication or adultery divorce issue; affidavits of 2 or 3 witnesses of the character of the applicant, both before and after the divorce.
3. In the event that the applicant or individual processed in accordance with this section shall be found at fault, he or she shall not be eligible for license as a minister of this organization and existing members not meeting the criteria of this section shall surrender their license.
4. The District Board must reach a majority decision in favor of approving the application. If approved, the district shall then refer the file to the Executive Board for endorsement of the District Board’s approval. The Executive Board will thoroughly and judiciously investigate the application.
5. If a majority of the Executive Board agrees that all necessary steps have been taken by the District Board, the applicant’s license shall be approved. In those cases where the applicant or their spouse has been married more than twice after their conversion, unless a previous marriage was terminated by a death, the applicant must receive unanimous approval of the Executive Board.Upon Executive Board unanimous approval, the applicant must appear before the General Board for interview. The General Board will then render a decision by simple majority vote. All required documentation must be presented with the application to the General Board members.