Twice in the past ten years Madison churches have emerged from their separate silos and worked broadly together to accomplish a greater goal to benefit the entire community. Most recently it was church members from all across the community who helped finance the building of Elizabeth House, a residential home for pregnant single women. Before that it was pastors from these churches who signed the Madison Community Marriage Covenant in 2002.
“That we have pastors from liberal churches, conservative churches, black churches, white churches, Catholic and Protestant, coming together to say we are going to take extra steps to strengthen marriage sends a signal to the whole country that this is not a political issue,” said Mike McManus, the founder of Marriage Savers.
Madison Part of a National Movement
McManus came to Madison originally in 1999 to pitch the idea of a marriage covenant, so that churches could actually strengthen marriages rather than merely bless them. It took three years to get the faith community together, but when the covenant was signed Madison became the 160th community in the country to make a community-wide effort to strengthen marriages. In signing the covenant, churches pledged not to marry couples until they had completed a 4-6 month pre-marriage process that included classes and marriage counseling.
Mike and Harriett McManus are still working hard to strengthen and save marriages. Their website says that more than 200 cities and towns in 43 states have established community marriage policies. In 2002 McManus said that he hoped that having Wisconsin’s capital city with a marriage covenant would encourage other cities in the state to adopt a similar covenant. Last summer it was reported that such a covenant was under consideration in Milwaukee.
A Capital Ceremony
At the covenant signing ceremony in 2002, held in the rotunda of the state capitol, McManus challenged Madison to cut the local divorce rate in half by 2010, and raise the marriage rate by 25-percent. Figures from the state of Wisconsin show that Dane County’s divorce rate has dropped since 2002, but by a mere 2.6% (at least as of 2008). However, that is a decrease and not an increase, a move in the right direction. The number of marriages has also gone down.
Whether all of the Madison churches that signed the covenant have maintained their commitment to more rigorous pre-marriage counseling for engaged couples is unknown. However, the Madison Marriage Ministry Task Force is one legacy of the covenant that continues. Each January since 2002 the Task Force has sponsored a marriage seminar for Madison area couples, to help them improve their relationship.
Last year the seminar featured Dr. Jack van Epp, author of the book, How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk.
This Year’s Marriage Seminar
This January 30th another seminar, sponsored by the Madison Marriage Ministry Task Force will be held at Lake City Church, 4909 E. Buckeye Road. It features international speaker Mark Gungor and is called “Laugh your way to a Better Marriage.” The seminar lasts from 9am to 4:30pm. Registration can be done at Lake City Church or Mad City Church, or online at www.laughyourway.com.
A recent story in The Christian Post reported that more and more pastors are recognizing that the responsibility for reducing the large number of failing marriages in the U.S lies largely with their churches. The week of February 7-14, leading up to Valentine’s Day, has been declared National Marriage Week. Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson, in a Breakpoint commentary last week, said that failed marriages take a large toll on our social fabric.
“I firmly believe that if we strengthen marriages and make traditional marriage a priority, we will keep untold thousands of children from ever going to prison,” he said. “By strengthening marriages, we will also keep many children from living in poverty—that’s because divorce impoverishes children and women.”
Taking the Long View
Then Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen said much the same thing at the Madison Marriage Covenant ceremony in 2002. “In the long run this compact should result in a need for fewer laws,” he said. Former Madison police chief David Couper, who retired and became an ordained pastor in the Episcopal church, said, “Here is a way in which we can insure marriage success and longevity.”
Madison churches which are still following the guidelines of the Madison Marriage Covenant are taking major steps to improve the quality of life for Madison area residents.
Click here to listen to an archived report on the 2002 Madison Marriage Covenant ceremony. (Time: 3:13)