ABSTRACT
Mission attitudes towards African customary marriage and towards government marriage legislation in Africa are conditioned by doctrinal differences, whether defined or implicit in mission discipline, as to the nature and function of the particular Church to which each mission belongs. Dependent upon doctrinal differences as to the nature of the Church are fundamental differences as to the nature of Christian marriage. In some non-episcopal missions the fact of conversion to the Christian faith is recognized apart from official or technical membership within the Church. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that in the marriage of two Christians, the marriage contract itself constitutes the sacrament. The necessity of the Church’s blessing upon a valid marriage between baptized members of the Anglican Church is not evident, though it is expected that members should seek it. The interpretation of the final clause in the extract is various in non-episcopal churches, and differs fundamentally from episcopal doctrine.
