“Is there hope?” Paul Miller, executive director of the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries, asked messengers of the state convention.
After a powerful skit about the effects of divorce on children and families, Miller informed convention attendees about the rising divorce rate in churchgoing families.
“I have a tremendous burden about the horrendous divorce rate that we have in Alabama and the devastating effects it has on the lives of children, our church families and the very fabric of our society,” he said. “I am even more burdened when I see research indicate that the divorce rate is not any different among our church families than it is among the lost.”
Despite the overwhelming statistics, Rod Marshall, director of the program, offered encouragement to Alabama Baptists through examples of churches who have made a difference in the fight against divorce. According to Marshall, many 1000-plus member churches in Kansas, Virginia, South Dakota and Missouri have been able to reduced divorce in their congregations through a community marriage policy.
Under this plan, more than 100 religious leaders have adopted the following pro-marriage, pro-family guidelines:
- Minimum six-month engagement period. “This simple step sends the message to dating couples that our sanctuaries are not available to be used as rental wedding halls,” said Marshall.
- Required premarital inventory.
- Equipping mentor couples to assist engaged couples.
- Annual married couples retreat.
- Encouraging reconciliation.
“Alabama consistently ranks in the top 10 and often in the top five in the highest per capita divorce rate,” said Marshall. “The Children’s Homes counseling staff has the resources to equip lay ministers in churches to lead our state to become the first to experience statewide community marriage policies.”
To achieve this goal, the Children’s Homes ministry counsels clients at 29 sites throughout the state. Helping thousands of children, youth and single and married adults since 1995, the ministry operates under the name Pathways Professional Counseling, a family ministry of Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes. Their services include counseling for individuals, groups and children; premarital counseling; marriage enrichment seminars; help for individuals and couples wanting to strengthen parenting skills and divorce recovery.
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