Some men and women aren’t marriage material - Duncan-Williams explains why

Josephine Amuzu 12:19 - 23 January 2026

Archbishop Duncan-Williams says many men and women are not marriage material because they lack preparation and responsibility, stressing that marriage is about purpose, not money or love alone

Founder and General Overseer of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, has said many young people are not getting married today because they lack preparation, responsibility and proper grooming for marital roles, not because they fail to meet certain financial demands.

He made the revelation during an interview with Cookie Tee on TV3, on Friday, January 23, 2026, when asked whether the church and society are discouraging couples who have found love and are ready to settle down by focusing too much on money? He clarified that his position is not about imposing a specific financial threshold on marriage.

He said:

I’m not talking about 100,000, 50,000, 10,000 or 20,000. I’m talking about being prepared, being ready and being responsible.

According to Archbishop Duncan-Williams, true readiness for marriage involves the ability to save and the capacity to take care of another person. He noted that many people cannot adequately take care of themselves, making it difficult for them to assume the responsibilities of marriage.

He stressed that marriage is a serious responsibility and not merely a matter of love. Referencing biblical principles, he explained that Scripture does not describe marriage as something founded on emotions, but on purpose.

Marriage is about purpose, and purpose comes with responsibility

The archbishop further explained that one of the reasons many men and women remain unmarried is that they are not yet “marriage material.”

He pointed out that there is a clear difference between being a woman and being a wife, just as there is a difference between being a man and being a husband or a father.

Quoting Scripture, Archbishop Duncan-Williams noted that the Bible says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing,” explaining that it does not say a man finds a woman, but a wife. He described wifehood as an office that one grows into, stressing that no one is born a wife.

You are born a woman. You become a wife,” he said, adding that the same principle applies to men becoming husbands and fathers.

He also criticised the lack of formal training for marital and parental responsibilities, noting that these issues are not addressed in the educational system.

According to him, men are not groomed or trained to become husbands or fathers before assuming those roles.

Sharing a personal experience, Archbishop Duncan-Williams revealed that when he became a father, he had to learn on the job because it was his first time. He said he once explained to his children that he was still learning, even though such preparation should ideally happen before one becomes a parent.

He therefore called on parents to play a more active role in preparing their children for marriage. He urged mothers to intentionally train their daughters to become wives and fathers to train their sons to become men, husbands and responsible fathers.

Archbishop Duncan-Williams’ comments have reignited discussions on marriage readiness, responsibility and the role of families, churches and society in preparing young people for successful marriages and family life.

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