By Lisa Wilmore
The Essential Question: Why Does Every Church Need a Marriage and Family Ministry?
Blessings, Dear Friends,
To begin with, in Part One, I discussed why every church needs a Marriage and Family Ministry and highlighted research showing that many congregations have not developed the ministry infrastructure needed to strengthen marriages and families. In this second article, I want to continue addressing this essential question by sharing the purpose of my research and why intentional biblical equipping is necessary for helping marriages and families flourish, especially within African American churches.
Next, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the need for ongoing marriage and family equipping classes that focus on God’s biblical foundation and principles for marriage and family life. Instead of waiting until families experience a crisis, churches should intentionally prepare and strengthen couples through biblical teaching and practical application. The study included the development of biblical learning lessons designed to help couples and families understand God’s design for marriage while equipping every home to become “a little church,” where faith is practiced through prayer, discipleship, worship, and daily Christian living (Timothy Paul Jones, 2011).
With this in mind, African American churches have historically been places of worship, spiritual growth, and community support. Because the church has often been central to family life, it has a unique opportunity to provide biblical guidance and practical resources that strengthen marriages and families. The rural local church I studied reflected this commitment; however, it had not developed a specific emphasis on marriage and family education that promoted long term family sustainability.
In addition, the research revealed that many couples and families were experiencing challenges related to communication, parenting, emotional stress, and marital conflict. Although educational opportunities were available through the church, there was no specific ministry infrastructure designed to equip couples and families before difficulties became overwhelming. This finding reinforces an important truth, that is, healthy marriages and families require intentional preparation, biblical instruction, and ongoing support from the faith community. In fact, Andreas Köstenberger (2004) noted that one reason Christian marriages struggle is because believers often fail to seriously engage the Bible as the foundation for family life.
My research confirmed that establishing marriage and family ministry infrastructure is not simply about creating another church program. It is about strengthening the church’s foundation by intentionally equipping families to live according to God’s design.
Lastly, in Part Three, I will share how the marriage and family equipping classes were implemented, the lessons learned through the research process, and the impact of establishing intentional ministry infrastructure for marriages and families.
This article is Part Two 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 and successfully defended and accepted in 2025. I look forward to sharing more in Part Three. Jesus Saves!
