Community Marriage Agrmt

The Community Marriage Agreement is a document signed by community leaders that establishes a minimum set of expectations which have been shown to contribute to successful marriages. 

Aiken Community Marriage Agreement

Representing various faith-based, civic, and government organizations, we share a common concern regarding marriage.

We believe:

* Marriage between a man and a woman establishes the foundation for a healthy society.
* Society has an obligation to take appropriate and necessary actions to foster healthy marriages.
* Religious leaders have a particularly important responsibility in establishing and maintaining a high standard for marriage preparation, enrichment, restoration, and recovery, since the majority of weddings are performed by a faith-based organization.

Therefore, we will:

1.  Encourage a courtship of at least one year.
2.  Encourage a minimum of four months of marriage preparation with no less than   four counseling sessions involving:
    a.  Premarital inventory;
    b.  Finance;
    c.  Communication and conflict resolution;
    d.  Sex.
3.  Encourage premarital chastity and non-cohabitation before marriage.
4.  Encourage the utilization of couples with healthy marriages to mentor engaged couples and couples in troubled marriages.
5.  Encourage and promote marriage enrichment opportunities designed to enhance existing marriages.
6.  Encourage and promote programs for ministering to troubled marriages.
7.  Encourage and promote support systems for stepfamilies.
8.  Encourage and promote support systems for adults and children coming out of divorces.
9.  Encourage and support cooperation among faith-based, civic, and government organizations to share resources and to create a     positive climate in which all marriages are helped to succeed, and to promote continuing evaluation and improvement in our ability to help marriages succeed.
10. Implement this Agreement within our own organization to the best of our ability.