. . . . . . . "Aubrey Franklin Hess (December 8, 1874 \u2013 October 27, 1935) was a progressive American theologian and educator. Born on a mountaintop farm in Virginia, Hess without formal theological training was ordained in the Methodist Protestant church in 1896 and immediately served two small congregations in West Virginia. Later, after completing his formal theological and university education, Hess served as president of the Methodist Protestant institutions of West Lafayette College, Ohio and Adrian College, Michigan. After leaving Adrian College in 1917 Hess returned to church pastoral duties ministering to Methodist Protestant, Congregational and Unitarian-Universalist churches. Hess made nationwide news in 1927 when he changed the traditional wedding vow of \u201Cuntil death us do part\u201D to \u201Cas long as this union shall last.\u201D Hess believed in the separation of state and church. Although his church granted divine sanction for a civil ceremony, state law retained provisions for marriage annulment regardless of the words used in the wedding ceremony. Hess also dropped the use of the word \u201Cobey\u201D from the wedding service. Rather, he solicited a promise given freely to provide, protect and keep pure and unspotted. Hess concluded his reasoning saying, \u201CI would not under any circumstances perform a ceremony where these conditions were not agreed to. I never ask if they will \u2018obey.\u2019 What's the use?\u201D"@en . "Aubrey Franklin Hess"@en . . . . . "Aubrey Franklin Hess (December 8, 1874 \u2013 October 27, 1935) was a progressive American theologian and educator. Born on a mountaintop farm in Virginia, Hess without formal theological training was ordained in the Methodist Protestant church in 1896 and immediately served two small congregations in West Virginia. Later, after completing his formal theological and university education, Hess served as president of the Methodist Protestant institutions of West Lafayette College, Ohio and Adrian College, Michigan."@en . . "22057"^^ . "1092456006"^^ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "56919960"^^ . . . .