A public signing of a marriage declaration, a lunch presentation by a national marriage expert and the unveiling of a WTVM contest to win a free wedding drew more than 300 people to the Columbus Convention & Trade Center on Thursday.
It was the public launching of a program called Right from the Start, affiliated statewide with the Georgia Family Council.
The program aims to teach young people about marriage and its benefits. It also works to encourage couples who have children out of wedlock to marry.
Columbus Mayor Jim Wetherington issued a proclamation from the city declaring Thursday “Right from the Start: Building Strong Marriages and Families Day.”
“It’s so disheartening to see children who (come from broken homes),” the mayor said. “It’s so difficult on them. We need to do everything we can to help restore the marriages in our community.”
After the 2 1/2-hour event, about 45 clergy signed their names on a board, declaring their commitment to strengthen existing marriages and provide tools such as premarital counseling for engaged couples. About 40 more names are on a printed list, but about half the clergy couldn’t attend the event.
The first in line Thursday to put his name on the board was the Rev. Harry McCall, president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance.
Fran Magoni directs Right from the Start. Her husband, the Rev. Mark Magoni of Midland United Methodist Church, was also among those who signed the covenant.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Clarice Muhammad, representing the Nation of Islam. “Strong marriages make strong communities.”
In a 30-minute presentation, author and therapist John Van Epp of Ohio used real-life marriage examples, video and statistics to make that case.
The United States is currently in its fifth decade of seeing a divorce rate higher than 50 percent, he said.
“Marriage has been blamed on the divorce rate,” he said. “People think, ‘We can lower the divorce rate if we just don’t get married,’
“It takes a village to raise healthy marriages. You can’t just do it in isolation,” he added.
Van Epp will lead additional training sessions today.
W.C. Bradley Co. chairman Steve Butler said healthy marriages are “good for business” because problems at home can lead to higher employee absenteeism and therefore lower productivity.
“If we as a community do not get very serious about implementing what we have heard today, in 15 years we will have to visit a museum in Columbus to see what a strong marriage and family was like,” said the Rev. Ralph Huling of St. James Missionary Baptist Church.
The first of five beliefs of the declaration is that marriage is between a man and a woman.
“I support this initiative because there are two institutions that God ordained: the church and the family,” said the Rev. Marcus Hunter of the Columbus branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “However, I am sensitive to the gay and lesbian community. I can love and embrace them but I support Right from the Start, and that marriage is between a man and a woman.”
After Van Epp’s presentation, community volunteer Molly Scarbrough and WTVM General Manager Lee Brantley announced an upcoming contest that will pay for a couple’s “dream wedding.”
The catch is that votes will be taken on the Internet — everything from the attire to flowers to the bride’s hairdo.
Anyone with computer access can cast votes at the station's Web site.
Applications will be taken beginning Nov. 2. The winning couple will be announced Feb. 26, and their wedding will air live May 15 on WTVM.
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