Twenty Four Groups Join Forces to Launch
Covenant Marriage Movement

(New York, NY)    A diverse group of 24 national organizations, whose combined constituencies number approximately 31 million people, announced today the launch of an effort to be known as the Covenant Marriage Movement in an attempt to strengthen marriage in America. The group will challenge millions of Americans to sign a "Covenant Marriage Statement" to declare their individual marriages as lasting institutions in the face of  rampant divorce and the breakdown of the family.

 The Covenant Marriage Movement is a collaborative attempt by leading national organizations that are already impacting marriages and families to unify their efforts to further strengthen the institution of marriage as a basis of a successful society. The group consists of 1) associations, such as AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors) and NAME (National Association of Marriage Enhancement), 2) denominations and their specific ministries, such as the Assemblies of God, LifeWay Christian Resources (the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention), and FOCCUS (a Catholic pre-marital assessment instrument), 3) parachurch organizations such as Focus on the Family, Promise Keepers , FamilyLife, Marriage Ministries International, Marriage Plus, Marriage Savers, the Smalley Relationship Center, Intimate Life Ministries; and, 4) educational groups such as the Center for Marriage and Family Studies, Moody Bible Institute, and Pastoral Care and Counseling at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and other organizations and ministries. (For a complete list of the 24 cooperating organizations, see the attached list).

The group's steering committee emphasized that these 24 organizations is a starting point, and the number of cooperating groups is expected to mushroom as the movement gains momentum. The steering committee is Reverend Leo Godzich, president of NAME, Louisiana state representative Tony Perkins and author of the first covenant marriage law, and Phil Waugh, Family Ministry Specialist of LifeWay Christian Resources which has committed to house the organizational efforts of this movement.

The covenant marriage statement, which the cooperating organizations will be asking couples to sign, reads, "Believing that marriage is a covenant, intended by God to be a lifelong relationship between a man and a woman, we vow to God, each other, our families and our communities to remain steadfast in unconditional love, reconciliation and sexual purity while purposefully growing in our covenant marriage relationship." The statement will be available to be signed on keepsake cards, certificates, on a website and through various other forms as the movement develops. Information is available from a toll-free number, 1-800-268-1343.

 The movement is probably the largest unifying effort ever to promote marriage in America, and comes on the heels of recently developed covenant marriage laws in both Louisiana ('97) and Arizona ('98). Other states are at various stages of developing covenant marriage laws. The Covenant Marriage Movement, however, differs from these developing laws.

 "The Covenant Marriage law has been a recognition by government that marriage and its permanence are irreplaceable in a health society.   Government can only foster an environment that favors the family, it can't create strong families, it is the faith community, which performs over 80% of marriages in America, that must give couples the tools necessary to succeed in marriage. The Covenant Marriage Movement, which we are launching today, encourages both the faith community and individual couples in their vital roles," said Tony Perkins.

   Lifeway Christian Resources is preparing additional resource materials and working with the cooperating organizations to promote the movement's logo and additional tools. "These organizations provide training and support, resources and education, information and inspiration to help marriages nationwide," said Waugh.

 The key to the movement, said Godzich, is the grassroots movement of these organizations mobilizing people. "It's not the politicians, the pulpits or the precincts, it's the people who will make a difference and we are challenging every couple in America to examine their definition of marriage in that it is more than a contract or convenience or even a commitment; it is, indeed, a covenant."

Our Covenant Marriage Promise

“Believing that marriage
is a covenant, intended by God
to be a lifelong relationship
between a man and a woman,
we vow to God, each other,
our families and our communities
to remain steadfast in
unconditional love, reconciliation
and sexual purity while purposefully
growing in our
covenant marriage relationship.”

_______________
HUSBAND

_______________
WIFE

_______________
DATE

BACKGROUNDER

Over the past several years various organizations have been calling individuals and couples back to a covenant marriage relationship.

• Eleven months later the first Covenant Marriage law was signed into law in the state of Louisiana through the efforts of State Representative Tony Perkins
• One month after that Perkins and Godzich came together and challenged marriage ministry leaders to expand the influence of the covenant marriage concept. This took place at the Second Annual International Marriage Conference.
• At approximately the same time Dennis Rainey of Family Life released his book, One Home at a Time, reemphasizing the need for covenant mentality in marriage.
• At the same time other organizations such as PK, Focus on the Family and others have been calling individuals and couples back to their covenant marriage relationship.
• On October 29, 1998 – LifeWay Christian Resources invited Representative Tony Perkins of Baton Rouge, LA; Rev. Leo Godzich of Phoenix, AZ; and Representative Jim Reese of Oklahoma City, OK for a strategic meeting in Nashville, TN to discuss the covenant marriage law. During that meeting it was confirmed that God was working in various areas in our nation in support of covenant marriage. The initial thrust, calling for the cooperation of the various organizations and the Covenant Marriage Statement came about as a result of that meeting.
• On February 23, 1999 – Representatives from 19 different organizations met in Dallas, Texas to discuss the potential of uniting together to initiate a Covenant Marriage Movement in our nation. At that meeting the concept of the Covenant Marriage Movement was discussed and the Covenant Marriage Statement was introduced. The representatives of these organizations unanimously agreed to cooperate in the initiation of the Covenant Marriage Movement.
• On May 11, 1999 we are publicly announcing the launch of the Covenant Marriage Movement by these cooperating ministries as an initiative to focus our nation on the vital importance of marriage and family.

List of Cooperating Organizations to Date

American Association of Christian Counselors

Assemblies of God

The Center for Marriage & Family Studies

Christian Men's Network

Covenant Keepers Inc.

CrossLife Ministries

FamilyLife

Family Foundations International

FOCCUS, Inc.

Focus on the Family

Intimate Life Ministries

Jack Hayford Ministries

Journey to Intimacy

LifeWay Christian Resources

Marriage Ministries International

Marriage Plus Ministries

Marriage Savers

Moody Bible Institute

National Association of Marriage Enhancement

Promise Keepers

Smalley Relationship Center

Southern Baptist Association of Counseling and Family Ministry

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dept. of Pastoral Care and Counseling

Y.M.C.S. (Your Ministry Counseling Services)