Multnomah County marriage policy pursued

PORTLAND – What churches in Clackamas County and other localities both statewide and across the nation have done in an attempt to stem the rising divorce rate is now in the works for Multnomah County, too.
Efforts have begun to create a “Marriage and Family Agreement” setting minimum standards for what the churches of Multnomah County will require for weddings to be officiated by area clergy.

Jeff Kemp, president of Seattle-based Families Northwest, spoke to 20 representatives of Multnomah County churches on June 14 at a first formation meeting for the county’s Marriage and Family Agreement. The meeting took place at the Easter Seals Building on S.W. Macadam Avenue in Portland.

Kemp outlined the value of countywide initiatives learned from the 42 agreements already established across the Pacific Northwest.

Luke Nelson of Families Northwest Communities Strategies Team and a local resident, then facilitated the first steps in forming an agreement unique to Multnomah County.

Charles Goessler, a member of the pastoral staff at Portland’s New Song Church and a spokesman for the Multnomah initiative, noted that 157 churches in neighboring Clack-amas County signed their own marriage policy in June 2001.

Since that time, Clack-amas County has seen a 13.7 percent decrease in the divorce rate.

“This translates to 240 divorces that did not happen and over 400 children that were spared the ravages of homes torn apart by di-vorce,” Goessler said.

Other examples are in El Paso, Texas, where the divorce rate fell 48 percent more than expected, with churches helping couples avoid 4,313 divorces from 1996 to 2001, and Shreveport, La., where clergy pushed their divorce rate down 28 percent in one year, according to Goessler.

Work on the Multnomah County effort began last year when more than 300 churches were invited to two roundtable meetings. The initial goal of the local effort is to see the divorce rate reduced by 15 percent within three years.

About 120 churches in Multnomah County have committed to eventually signing the agreement, said Goessler.

Among clergy endorsing the initiative is James Martin of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Portland.

“The Christian church is now the last institution in our society that defends God’s ordained creation of marriage,” he said. “Therefore, I urge each pastor to sign the marriage agreement and make a commitment to do your part in positively affecting our communities by equipping men and women to develop healthy and successful marriages and families.”

For more information, contact Goessler at 503-493-1301 or marriageandfamilyconnections@netzero.com.