More than 51 people representing 20 religious denominations and two faiths signed their names to a double wedding-ring quilt committing their support of the new Grand Traverse Area Community Marriage Program. The program aims to lower the area's divorce rate by preparing couples for marriage, enriching existing marriages and helping them through marital struggles. Between 1993 and 1997, Grand Traverse County averaged 59 divorces a year for every 100 marriages, according to the Quality of Life Index for the Grand Traverse Region, a community report prepared annually. It's time we did something about it.
Fewer divorces translate into a healthier community.
Hogue was one of the many who signed the quilt. The signing was part of a two-day conference that started with a keynote address by syndicated newspaper columnist Mike McManus, who writes a conservative religious column called Ethics and Religion. The program here was modeled after other successful programs across the nation, including McManus' Marriage-Savers ministry. McManus said his program has helped clergy reduce the divorce rate in 15 cities by more than 10 times the national decline. The signing ceremony Friday represented an unprecedented union of many denominations, said John Ulrich, a psychologist with the Wedgwood Christian Youth and Family Services who headed up the local steering committee.