By Lisa Wilmore
The essential question: Why does every church need a Marriage and Family Ministry?
The local church has always been more than a place of worship. It is a place where people seek guidance, healing, encouragement, and hope during every season of life. As society continues to redefine marriage and family, I believe the church has an even greater responsibility to provide biblical direction and practical support for couples and families. When churches intentionally invest in ministries that strengthen relationships, they help build healthier families, stronger congregations, and stronger communities.
With this in mind, research has consistently shown that many churches have not developed the ministry infrastructure necessary to meet the growing needs of marriages and families. J. De Gance (2019) in his work, “The Family Crisis Caused the Faith Crisis”, described marriage as one of the church’s greatest ministry gaps, emphasizing that strengthening marriages and families is a fundamental responsibility of every congregation. This responsibility extends beyond wedding ceremonies and occasional counseling. It includes creating opportunities for premarital counseling, marriage enrichment, Christian education, small group studies, and “ongoing” support that equips couples to be able to sustain longevity in their marriage.
In fact, this need is especially meaningful within the African American church, where faith has historically been central to family life. Camden Morgante, writing for the Regent University Hope Research Project, referenced Cook and Wiley (2000), who recognized spirituality as an essential component in supporting African American families. Because many individuals naturally look to the church for wisdom during life’s challenges, churches are uniquely positioned to offer both spiritual encouragement and practical tools that strengthen marriages. .
National research further highlights the urgency of this need. According to findings reported by Camilla Klein (2024) from the Barna Research Group, 72 percent of American churches do not have a substantive marriage ministry, 74 percent provide no ministry for newly married couples, and 93 percent offer no ministry specifically for singles.
These realities inspired my research and reinforced my conviction that churches can play a more active role in helping families flourish. While there is considerable research on marriage and divorce, less attention has been given to how the African American church can intentionally establish ministry infrastructures that equip couples for long term marital success. My research examined the implementation of marriage and family equipping classes within the local church using participants from an existing Sunday School class. My prayer is that these findings will encourage church leaders to strengthen their ministry foundations and intentionally invest in marriages and families, so they are equipped not only to survive today’s challenges but to thrive according to God’s design.
This article is Part One of a series adapted from my doctoral research, SUSTAINING FAMILIES THROUGH MINISTRY: AN ACTION RESEARCH ON ESTABLISHING MINISTRY INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUSIVE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY NEEDS AT THE LOCAL CHURCH, completed through United Theological Seminary (UTS) in Monroe, Louisiana, and successfully defended and accepted in 2025. I look forward to sharing more in Part Two.
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