Actor, 51, marries aspiring country music singer virgin, 16, in Las Vegas

They say age is only a number when it comes to love – just ask Green Mile star Doug Anthony Hutchison and his new bride.

The 51-year-old actor has married aspiring country singer Courtney Alexis Stodden, who is 16.

The pair married in Las Vegas last month and Hutchison proudly posted a picture of himself and the former beauty queen on his website this week.

Since the wedding the TV star and his teenage bride have been forced to defend their decision.

‘We’re aware that our vast age difference is extremely controversial,’ the couple told E! Online.

‘But we’re very much in love and want to get the message out there that true love can be ageless.’

The legal age for marriage in Las Vegas is 18, however with parental consent it drops to 16.

Courtney’s mother Krista Stodden told RadarOnline.com: ‘We are totally supportive of this marriage. Doug is a wonderful man and we love him.’

She defended her daughter’s decision, insisting that she is a ‘good Christian girl’.

Mrs Stodden said: ‘They are very much in love and we are so supportive of this.

‘Courtney was a virgin when she married Doug. She is a good Christian girl.’

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DFW churches employ new methods for vacation Bible school

Call it vacation Bible school on steroids.

At The Hills Church of Christ in North Richland Hills, more than 6,300 people attended last week’s “Summer Spectacular” event designed to bring the story of Noah’s ark to life, complete with a petting zoo and a Broadway-style musical that recounted the tale over three nights.

It’s a stark contrast to the VBS days of the past, when kids made praying hands out of plaster and listened to Bible stories before nap time.

Today’s summer-based schools are more akin to day camp than Sunday school, with churches using elaborate props, electronics and themed curricula that can be bought from church denominations or publishers.

The materials make it easier for church officials to plan the events and provide lessons that connect to the religious concepts they want to emphasize, church youth directors say.

“I like to say it’s not your mom and dad’s VBS,” said Patty Weaver, children’s minister at The Hills. “We believe that God’s word is so powerful that if we make it culturally relevant then it will really penetrate the heart of the child. It just needs to speak to their world today. We need to make sure we’re telling it in a way that connects with children.”

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