Philadelphia Bible Fellowship holds gala for Christian couples

With Valentine’s Day approaching, one Southwest Philadelphia church, the Philadelphia Bible Fellowship at 3017 Island Ave., in Eastwick, is hosting a Valentine’s Day Gala for Christian couples, Saturday, February 16.

Executive Pastor Kenneth A. Divers and his wife Brenda helped organize the popular event whose seating capacity had already been filled by the time of our interview.

“It’s focusing on couples whether they are married, whether they are engaged or consider themselves a couple,” Divers said.

Divers said the focus of the event was sharing Christ’s love through couples and letting them know the value of serving God and each other.

“One of the things that we champion during this annual Valentine’s Day Gala is loving one another unconditionally which is a very rare thing in the 20th Century,” said Divers who has been married to his wife Brenda for 12 years and dated 5 years prior to their marriage.

Divers noted responses from those who attended previous Valentine’s Day Galas was very positive.

“Each year the Gala has been increasing in number and has been increasing in entertainment,” he said.

The Valentine’s Day Gala is an interactive event in which couples not only have an opportunity to enjoy catered food and live entertainment but also will participate in the activities by playing games and engaging in other activities designed specifically for couples.

“One year we had couples write a poem and they read the poems to each other,” Divers said. “We hid cards under some chairs and the people didn’t know that the cards were there and whatever was written on that card the person had to [sing to their partner]. We had a wonderful time.”

Some people might feel a little vulnerable singing in front of others without prior notice but according to Divers, that’s the point of it.

“That’s the fun of it, just being yourself and being vulnerable to other couples and fellowship,” he said.

Fellowship with other couples is crucial to healthy Christian relationships, Divers said.

“Just as in the business world where there is a huge string of accountability, how much more so should we have that in married couples, especially today where divorce rates are around fifty percent even among Christian marriages as well,” he said.

“The wonderful thing about it is that all of it is free of charge,” Divers added. “The only thing that we ask you to bring is yourselves and your appetites.”