Discourage men without GHC100k in bank account from having weddings – Duncan Williams

Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams has urged church leaders to discourage weddings for men without substantial savings, warning that lavish ceremonies funded through debt are damaging young marriages.

The founder and General Overseer of Action Chapel International said many couples begin married life under intense financial pressure because of expensive wedding celebrations financed through borrowing and unpaid obligations.

Addressing bishops of the church during a sermon over the weekend, the archbishop argued that marriage should not start with debt, stress, and embarrassment arising from unpaid wedding bills.

“You don’t want to begin your marriage with debt,” he cautioned. “You go to the honeymoon and the phones begin to ring. It’s the lady who brought the chairs. She is asking for her money.”

He continued by illustrating the pressure couples face immediately after their ceremonies. “Another phone rings, the woman who provided the drinks: ‘When can I get my money?’ That is not how to start a marriage,” he said.

Archbishop Duncan-Williams described the growing trend of extravagant weddings as a financial mistake that has placed many young families under strain, sometimes leading to conflict and instability early in marriage.

He called on church leaders to take firm steps to curb the practice, stressing that pastoral responsibility goes beyond officiating ceremonies to protecting the long-term wellbeing of couples.

“I’m ruling by the grace of God,” he told the bishops. “Discourage people who want to have weddings until they can prove to us that if the man doesn’t have at least GHC100,000 in his bank account, he shouldn’t have a wedding.”

According to him, the call is not about denying people marriage but about promoting financial discipline, planning, and responsibility among young men seeking to marry.

The archbishop noted that the pressure to impress society often pushes couples into unnecessary expenses, with long-term consequences that far outweigh the short-lived celebration.

He urged church leaders to educate congregants on prioritising the marriage itself rather than the event, warning that debt accumulated for weddings can follow couples for years.

Archbishop Duncan-Williams stressed that churches must lead the conversation on modesty and financial wisdom, especially as economic conditions become more challenging for young families.

His remarks have since sparked public discussion on social media about the cost of weddings, financial readiness for marriage, and the role of religious institutions in guiding personal financial decisions.