FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — Churches can help strengthen marriages if they are willing to become relationship-oriented rather than remaining event focused, according to a former president of the Association of Couples in Marriage Enrichment.
Britton Wood, a member of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, said congregations can encourage strong unions if they will begin continuous marriage enrichment ministries.
This would be a drastic shift for many churches that emphasize marriage once a year, he said. A continual ministry would encourage evolving and deepening relationships between spouses and couples.
Churches can begin enrichment groups of five-to-six couples who come together to discuss their relationships and focus on strengthening their respective bonds, Wood said. Wood has been involved in his group for 23 years.
Strong marriages have a direct impact on a congregation's ministry, Wood said. Non-Christians will be attracted to Christian ministries when they see Christians having healthy relationships.
“If we could do that in the church, we couldn't keep people away from our churches,” he said.