Calling it “a moment I’ll never forget,” Oklahoma Pastor Mike Todd is praising God for transforming the lives of 16 couples on March 2. The lead pastor reflected on Sunday’s mass wedding at Tulsa’s Transformation Church, which saved the newlyweds money and time.
About a month ago, leaders at Transformation “felt really strongly that the burden of the wedding and the planning and all that stuff sometimes gets in the way of people actually doing what they’re wanting to do,” Todd told Fox23. “And because of the generosity of Transformation Church, I said, ‘Hey, anybody who wants to get married, in two weeks we’re having a wedding!’”
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Hundreds of people from across America responded, according to the pastor, and 16 couples “went all the way through with the process.” The church provided some marriage counseling to make sure everyone was prepared for the big step.
“All of these couples got to walk into marriage without the financial burden of a wedding,” Todd said. “The average wedding is like $20,000-plus, and all these couples get to go into their marriage thinking about each other and not a huge debt or a bill that’s happening.”
16 Couples Wed at Transformation Church
Sunday’s ceremony was an “awesome opportunity” to bless people, Todd said, as well as a “really fun event.” Afterward, the pastor posted that it would take him “ALL WEEK” to share the highlights. “BUT as I lay down tonight,” he wrote, “I am grateful that God continues to reveal new ways for the [church’s] vision of REPRESENTING to come to life.”
Although the couples participated in a mass wedding, they also experienced some personal moments. “We made it special and intimate for each [couple], as well as something that could be celebrated by the masses,” Todd said about the ceremony. “So each one of the brides got to walk down the aisle, meet their husband walked down by their father or brother, and they each had a moment.”
Couples expressed themselves through personal touches such as wardrobe choices too. “We told people God blesses who you really are not who you pretend to be,” said Todd. “So if people wanted to come in sweatsuits—there were people in sweatsuits—there were people in red and black and then there were people in traditional, because it’s really not about the outward. It’s about what’s in the heart in the commitment they made.”
Mass Wedding Transforms Lives
Todd invited the community to attend the celebration at SpiritBank Event Center, where Transformation Church meets. He posted a video of himself signing the 16 marriage licenses, plus 16 copies of his “Relationship Goals” book.
