Marriage Savers Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mike McManus, 301 469-5870

Christian Churches Collaborate To Cut Divorce Rates

America's two largest denominations, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) -- and two umbrella groups representing scores of smaller Protestant denominations, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and the National Council of Churches of Christ (NCCC) -- will hold an unprecedented press conference aimed at reducing the divorce rate on Nov. 14 at the Holiday Inn on Capitol Hill (New Jersey Ave.) at 2 p.m. These organizations represent about 240,000 of America's 300,000 churches.

Inspired by the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, top representatives of the Christian organizations will "honor the Lord by committing ourselves afresh to God's first institution, marriage" in a "Christian Declaration on Marriage."

NAE President Kevin Mannoia, who will host the press conference, said it is significant that the Declaration affirms what some now consider controversial, that "marriage is a holy union of one man and one woman in which they commit...to build a loving life-giving faithful relationship that will last a lifetime." However, the statement also acknowledges that "Our nation is threatened by a high divorce rate, a rise in cohabitation, a rise in non-marital births, a decline in the marriage rate, and a diminishing interest in and readiness for marrying, especially among young people."

What's most important is the Christian leaders' consensus that "With three-quarters of marriages performed by clergy, churches are uniquely positioned not only to call America to a stronger commitment to this holy union but to provide practical ministries and influence for reversing the course of our culture. It is evident in cities across the nation that where churches join in common commitment to restore a priority on marriage, divorces are reduced and communities are positively influenced."

In addition to Dr. Mannoia, others who will speak at the press conference are Catholic Cardinal William Keeler, past president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Dr. Richard Land, President of the Southern Baptist's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Dr. Robert Edgar, General Secretary of National Council of Churches of Christ, signed the Declaration but is unable to attend, because the NCCC is holding its own meeting in Atlanta at the same time.

A "Background Paper" to be released Tuesday notes that clergy in 133 cities across denominational lines adopted a "Community Marriage Policy," that have brought down divorce rates. In 25 of 28 cities, where data is available from county clerks, divorces have plunged at least 20 times faster than they have in the nation as a whole. Nationally, the number of divorces have fallen only 1.5% in 19 years, from 1,181,000 in 1979 to 1,163,000 in 1997. By contrast, they have fallen 30% in Modesto, CA, the first to adopt a Community Marriage Policy in 1986. More recent communities to sign on have seen a more dramatic change, with divorces plunging in only three years by 19% in Chattanooga and by a remarkable one-third in Kansas City, KS (from 1,530 divorces in a two county area to 1,034) and in El Paso where divorces plummeted from 3,176 to 2,179. Thus, divorces in Kansas City and El Paso have fallen 22 times more than the U.S. in about one-sixth of the time (three years vs. 19 years), or 100+ times faster than the U.S.

The core strategy, which can reduce the divorce rate in an individual congregation to near zero, is simple. In every congregation, there are couples in strong marriages who really could be of help to other couples, but have never been asked, inspired or trained to come alongside another couple and share their wisdom of how to make a marriage work. Two examples cited by the Background Paper:

Preparation: Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD has trained 52 "Mentor Couples" who have worked with 304 couples considering marriage or preparing for it since 1992. They administer a "premarital inventory" which can predict with 80% accuracy who will divorce, and meet privately for six evenings to discuss the issues that it surfaces. About 50 of the 310 couples an their engagement or relationship before the wedding. But of 250+ who did marry there are only six known divorces in eight years.

Restoration: An Episcopal priest, Rev. Richard McGinnis, created a "Marriage Ministry" for troubled marriages by training seven couples whose marriages had once nearly failed, to meet with those now considering divorce. In five years, the Mentor Couples met with 40 troubled marriages, and saved 38 of them, a 95% success rate. This reform has been planted in 25 churches, saving about 90% of conflicted marriages.

Churches which have trained Mentor Couples to work with both premarital couples and those headed for divorce -- have been able to virtually eliminate divorce according to the Background Paper. Killearn United Methodist Church in Tallahassee, a congregation of 2,500 people, has had no divorces since training its Mentors in January, 1999. Pearce Memorial Church near Rochester has had only one separation in two years. The First Assembly of God in Rockford, IL trained 14 "back-from-the-brink" couples to work with troubled marriages, and had such success that area therapists sent over scores of their worst cases. Of more than 100 couples who have been mentored so far, only four have divorced. Christ Lutheran Church in Overland Park, KS, a church of 1,500 has had only two divorces in three years, two couples who did not tell anyone they were in trouble.