Francis Schaeffer's Premarital Advice
The Schaeffers' Premarital Advice
Francis Schaeffer was one of my predecessors at Covenant Presbyterian Church, St. Louis (although it was the Bible Presbyterian Church when he was pastor). Another predecessor, Don MacNair is fond of telling his students at Covenant Seminary that the Schaeffers, among many other things, were great pre-marital counselors. MacNair waxes nostalgic when he says, "When a couple would tell the Schaeffers they wanted to get married, Edith would take the girl off into one room of their house and Fran would take the boy to another and they would give them their money's worth!"
Pre-marital counseling remains one of the most exciting opportunities for the Gospel at Covenant Church. Because of our location and now by reputation as well, we have scores of people outside of our fellowship that seek to be married at Covenant. Mostly non-Christians, they are required to attend our worship services the whole time they are in our pre-marital counseling program. We meet between 6 and 8 times over an equal number of months. Therefore, not only are they exposed to the Gospel in the counseling program but in the worship services as well. A number have come to Christ as a result; in fact, two are officers, one is even the chairman of our diaconate!
This application of the Gospel is largely inspired by Francis Schaeffer's notion of "pre-evangelism." Perhaps he never envisioned this application, but we (i.e. the pastoral staff) think that a couple's coming to be married provides an opportunity to demonstrate to them their need for the Savior and the instruction of his inerrant Word. Positively, it is an opportunity to practice the "apologetic of love," affirming that they are created in the image of God and that he has graciously given them the ordinance of marriage. And negatively, it is an opportunity to push them to the "line of despair" of their own worldview by impressing upon them that they are approaching a relationship which
Francis Schaeffer was one of my predecessors at Covenant Presbyterian Church, St. Louis (although it was the Bible Presbyterian Church when he was pastor). Another predecessor, Don MacNair is fond of telling his students at Covenant Seminary that the Schaeffers, among many other things, were great pre-marital counselors. MacNair waxes nostalgic when he says, "When a couple would tell the Schaeffers they wanted to get married, Edith would take the girl off into one room of their house and Fran would take the boy to another and they would give them their money's worth!"
Pre-marital counseling remains one of the most exciting opportunities for the Gospel at Covenant Church. Because of our location and now by reputation as well, we have scores of people outside of our fellowship that seek to be married at Covenant. Mostly non-Christians, they are required to attend our worship services the whole time they are in our pre-marital counseling program. We meet between 6 and 8 times over an equal number of months. Therefore, not only are they exposed to the Gospel in the counseling program but in the worship services as well. A number have come to Christ as a result; in fact, two are officers, one is even the chairman of our diaconate!
This application of the Gospel is largely inspired by Francis Schaeffer's notion of "pre-evangelism." Perhaps he never envisioned this application, but we (i.e. the pastoral staff) think that a couple's coming to be married provides an opportunity to demonstrate to them their need for the Savior and the instruction of his inerrant Word. Positively, it is an opportunity to practice the "apologetic of love," affirming that they are created in the image of God and that he has graciously given them the ordinance of marriage. And negatively, it is an opportunity to push them to the "line of despair" of their own worldview by impressing upon them that they are approaching a relationship which