Some Christians have raised alarm on the tendency of some churches such as the Seventh day Adventist, Jehovah’s Witness; the Sengwayo apostolic sect and other apostolic sects for banning inter church marriages.

Speaking to RelZim, Anna Ndou said she was shocked when her Roman Catholic friend told her that the Seventh day Adventist church had refused to solemnize her wedding with her Adventist boyfriend because she was not an Adventist baptized member.

“I am shocked by churches who discourage inter church marriages. It’s bad because marriage is between two people and its only God who blesses the institution of marriage and not laws of the churches.

“It simply shows that people have become worldly as they want to govern the institution that was created by God,” Ndou said.

Tadiwa another Adventist who married outside the church said, “The Adventist pastor preached at our wedding ceremony, but said he couldn’t marry an Adventist with a non-Adventist. We had to find another, non-Adventist pastor to pronounce the vows, my wife has never really forgiven my church for it because she said she felt that was not a good welcome.”

Sarudzai Chivi told RelZim that she moved out of the Jehovah’s Witness church as they were not allowed to date boyfriends from outside the church. “I found it very queer that we would be forced to have relationships just with members of the church. It is barbaric and very bad that churches should bring such ideologies. It is segregation yet God says I am love,” she said

Timothy Chinembiri, who says does not go to a particular church but worships in any church that will be in close proximity, said it was unchristian for churches to ban inter marriages or relationships. “It is evil and done by churches that look down upon other churches. If we are serving the same God and reading the same bible why should inter church marriages or relationships be forbidden.

Chinembiri said that he does not see any problem  in inter-faith marriages “I think the goal of bringing them together in faith is better achieved by marrying them, rather than by sending them to some other church to get married,” he said.

However an Adventist elder who spoke to RelZim said it was just church procedure. “Our church manual says, “the Seventh-day Adventist Church strongly discourages marriage between a Seventh-day Adventist and a non-Seventh-day Adventist.”

He further explained, “Adventism does not allow solemnization of a marriage with a partner who is not an Adventist. However it does not mean that members of the church do not attend the wedding. We support our member but they would have to look for someone else to make them take their marriage vows,” he said