What Do Most UPCI Churchs Teach Divorce/Remarriage

[PraiseHymn]

As some of you know, I come from the Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ which teaches no divorce and remarriage with a living spouse (Romans 7:3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.)

As most of you know I am UPCI now. Just out of curiousity, what is the general stance around UPCI concerning Divorce and Remarriage with a living (divorced) spouse? I know the Articles of Faith say "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery:" (Matt. 19:9). (Matt. 5:32), When this sin has been committed, the innocent party may be free to remarry only in the Lord. Our desire being to raise a higher standard for the ministry, we recommend that ministers do not marry again.

[missourimary]

I won't participate in the poll since I'm not currently UPC.

One UPCI I was part of taught the innocent party could remarry, but also asked the questions: is there ever a completely innocent party? and if so, how would anyone but God ever truly know?
The other two parted ways with the UPC several years ago. One taught never as long as the former spouse was living. The other taught "not in the church, but otherwise yes" so if one party left church (or even left that church) the other party would technically be free to remarry.

The question I was never allowed to ask the one that said "never" was this: if two sinners fornicate, they can pray through and marry others. If two sinners marry, they are bound by that marriage by death if they pray through in that particular church. What is the difference? One said some words and signed a paper, and the other may or may not have said words and didn't sign any official papers? Did Isaac say words and sign papers before taking Rebekkah into his tent? Were they or were they not married?

I do not believe that everyone who fornicates or is married before coming to God is necessarily bound til death. But I don't understand the seeming inconsistency I saw in that particular teaching. What about the spouse who's husband in the world was abusive and she left him? What of the one who divorced and then was with several other people, either married or not, all BC? Which marriage is recognized by God? Would people refuse to come to God due to knowing that they would fail if they came in and were forced to remain single for the next several decades? Has anyone in the church ever prayed, hoped, or wished that their ex would die so that they could remarry? Today's situations call for an understanding of the precepts of scripture, not just the black and white of it.

JMO

[Hoovie]

I don't understand what the poll is. What most UPC teach is the first choice - no poll needed. Or did you mean to ask "what does your particular church teach...".?

[PraiseHymn]

Well, the organization may say one thing HOWEVER some church's in the organization might teach something differently yet still call themselves UPCI. So I just wanted to know. For instance, COOLJC teach veils as a headcovering however there are COOLJC church's in the organization who teach against the veil and say that women dont need to wear them however its not a large majority.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by PraiseHymn

Well, the organization may say one thing HOWEVER some church's in the organization might teach something differently yet still call themselves UPCI. So I just wanted to know. For instance, COOLJC teach veils as a headcovering however there are COOLJC church's in the organization who teach against the veil and say that women dont need to wear them however its not a large majority.

I see. I dare say there are less than 1 percent of UPC that would teach #2 choice on the poll.

[ChTatum]

I don't attend one, so it doesn't matter to me what they teach.