James T. Meeks (pictured upfront with microphone), Democratic member of the Illinois Senate and baptist minister in Chicago, challenged the unmarried members of his church to get married. The controversial minister promised to cover the wedding tabs of 25 unmarried couples in his congregation if they would choose to tie the knot. Seventeen couples answered Meeks' call and stepped to the plate this past weekend in a mass wedding ceremony that had more than 10,000 celebrators in attendance.
The wedding challenge was part of a church initiative that strives to promote the sanctity of marriage in the black community.
Salem Baptist, an institution that is celebrating its 25-year anniversary, blends traditional and contemporary teachings as one of the largest places of worship in the country. The arena can hold more than 10,000 congregants, but its official roster is actually more than double the number.
Rev. Meeks, who sits at the helm of the monolithic place of worship, has said in the past that his church is there to "rebuild lives and rebuild communities." Marriage, according to the 54-year-old minister, is an institution that "is the right thing to do," he told the Chicago Sun-Times.
![17 Couples Take Meeks Up on Challenge, Tie the Knot]()
Those couples who took advantage of Meeks' generous offer were allowed to invite 25 friends and family members, and the church paid for photography, premarital counseling and a one-night stay at a local Swissotel Hotel. Fellow congregation members donated wedding dresses, flowers and even jewelry to the happy couples.
Picture-taking was done for each couple, where they could pose with their invitees. When it came time for Meeks to perform the wedding nuptials, the couples gathered en masse and exchanged their vows all at once.
As for the long-awaited wedding kiss, Meeks made sure to pause so that all who wanted to take pictures of the couples could do so.
All of the couples seemed to revel in the moment, and even Meeks, who has been a preacher for 31 years, called the wedding ceremony a "magical moment."
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