Alabama Baptists said they have heard Gov. Don Siegelman’s call for developing faith-based solutions to rehabilitate the state’s juvenile and adult prisoners.
And the denomination said it is ready to meet the challenge, emphasizing the importance of homes and fathers as one of the solutions.
Meeting Oct. 10 at the State Board of Missions building in Montgomery, “Summit on Fatherless Alabama” was organized as the beginning step in forming a coalition of different denominations and pro family groups to develop faith-based solutions to rehabilitating Alabama’s prison inmates.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the three institutions God has ordained — family, government and the church — to work together for a better Alabama,” said Joe Bob Mizzell, director of Christian ethics/chaplaincy ministries with the State Board of Missions.
“Having rallied together against the lottery, this is a great opportunity to let the governor and the people of Alabama know what we are for by responding to the governor’s request,” Mizzell added.
One of the conference speakers — Ed Litton, pastor of First Baptist Church, North Mobile — said many of today’s problems are the result of adults who grew up in homes without fathers.
“We’re convinced that fatherlessness is the root of a great many societal problems,” Litton said. The pastor referred to a study entitled “Fatherless America” by David Blankenhorn that highlights the impact on children who grow up without fathers.
Litton said the meeting was the first step in providing pastors with information on how to deal with the situation.
“It’s a gigantic problem we’re facing,” he said.
Rehabilitating the state’s prison population is important for the next generation, Mizzell said, because the “vast majority” of Alabama’s prison inmates come from homes with no fathers.
“If we could solve the fatherless problem, the crime problem would take care of itself,” said Gary Palmer, president of the Alabama Policy Institute.
Among solutions Palmer suggested are a “new perspective” on welfare reform, with states promoting marriage. He said schools should also make an effort to stress the importance of marriage and working with students in developing relationship skills.
Another possible solution he cited is a community marriage policy where churches agree not to marry couples unless they have participated in pre-marriage counseling. Palmer said the divorce rate has plummeted in communities where the policy is followed.
Palmer said churches can also provide a ministry by offering free weddings to unmarried couples who are living together. He said several weddings could be offered in one day, with the same flowers and arrangements used in the different ceremonies.
In doing so, he said, the risk of the father abandoning his children is reduced.
“Churches as a ministry can give free ceremonies to couples who can’t afford weddings,” Palmer said. “We ought to remove that obstacle.”
But keeping fathers in homes is not seen as merely a solution to Alabama’s crime problem.
“This goes well beyond the scope of prison inmates,” said John Hill, director of research with the Alabama Policy Institute.
Hill said the solution is “preventing men from ever going into the prison system to begin with.” He said men need to be encouraged about what it means to be a man in the context of being a father.
“We want to improve the well-being of children in Alabama by increasing the number of children growing up with involved, committed and responsible fathers,” Hill said.
One of the conference speakers, Wade F. Horn, said re-emphasizing the role of a father in American society is paramount. Horn frequently speaks on the issue and writes a weekly column on fathering, “Fatherly Advice” for The Washington Times.
Horn stresses the call for a return to fathers is not a criticism of mothers raising children alone.
“This is not a black mark on single mothers,” Horn said an interview with Men’s Health. “There is an increasing number of children growing up in single-father households, and it seems the outcomes for those kids aren’t very rosy either.
“What we are saying is that children really need both a mother and a father,” he added.
Horn said fathers relate to their children differently than mothers.
“We know mothers tend to be more verbal with their children and fathers much more physical,” he said.
“Particularly with boys, fathers engage in rough-and-tumble play.”
That “rough-and-tumble play,” Horn argues, serves as practice for boys to develop control over their aggression.
“So, it’s a combination of the father’s tendency to challenge achievement combined with the mother’s typical nurturing that creates happy kids,” he said.
Horn stresses fathers also play a role in assuring their daughters will find the right mates. He said strong fathers offer daughters the experience of a relationship with a man who places them first.
“That’s important, because — when girls start looking for mates — if they have the expectation that a man should be like Dad, they will be more likely to hold out for that positive model,” Horn said.
Litton said he hopes churches will become involved in ministries to develop strong fathers. The pastor said he plans to continue speaking with other ministers to raise awareness of the problem.
He added the effort is part of a response to Siegelman’s request for pastors to help in addressing “pressing social issues.”
“I am convinced that it is an opportunity for us to bring biblical truth to the public square,” Litton said.
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