Marriage Savers News

LAS CRUCES SURPASSES ALBUQUERQUE TO BECOMES 200TH CITY
TO IMPLEMENT A COMMUNITY MARRIAGE POLICY
Albuquerque Hopes to Become 201st

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan 1, 2006
 
Media Contact: Roe Ann Estevez 972-267-1111
Mike McManus 301 469-5870
 
Potomac, MD. - Tuesday, January 24, 2006 – Fifteen Las Cruces pastors signed a Community Marriage Policy (CMP) to combat divorce in their city on Thursday, becoming the 200th U.S. city to sign the nuptial covenant.  Although another New Mexico city, Albuquerque, was slated for the position, local volunteer organizers did not have enough signatories to qualify for a marriage policy at this time.
 
"We are hopeful, that in the days ahead, more pastors in Albuquerque will join the 18 others who have made a commitment to the Albuquerque Community Marriage Policy,” said Michael McManus, co-founder and president of Marriage Savers, who help launch the first CMP in Modesto, CA in January, 1986, exactly 20 years ago. “In a city ten times the size of Las Cruces, where 15 pastors signed on, Marriage Savers would need more participation from Albuquerque churches to certify the city as one with a viable Community Marriage Policy. “However, we are pleased that Las Cruces has taken the honored position of the 200th Community Marriage Policy. It is also the third city in New Mexico to take this step.”
 
By signing the Community Marriage Policy, Las Cruces pastors agreed to implement six key reforms in their congregations. As the pastors put it, “Our passion is to radically reduce the divorce rate of those married in faith communities, strengthen existing marriages, restore broken marriages, reconcile breaking marriages and provide support to stepfamilies.” These reforms include requiring couples who want to marry to attend “four months of marriage preparation,” that includes taking a premarital inventory and meeting with mentor couples to discuss issues it surfaces.   The churches must also implement programs to strengthen existing marriages and step families, and must help reconcile those separated.
 
In February, 2004, 40 pastors and priests created the Farmington, N.M Community Marriage Policy, and 25 did so in Alamogordo, NM in September, 2001. Rev. Scott Ruthven of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church who organized Las Cruces clergy, was a signer of the Alamagordo CMP. “I saw how healthy it was for my church and for the community, and was asked by Las Cruces clergy to take the ball and run with it,” he said.

The Family Research Council (FRC) will spotlight the 200th Community Marriage Policy February 8, at a Forum and luncheon in Washington D.C. FRC President Tony Perkins will host the event, and Harriet and Mike McManus, along with Senator Sam Brownback and HHS Assistant Secretary Wade Horn will comment on the benefits of the Community Marriage Policy.