Marriage Day in Detroit

David Kasbow
July 10, 2009

Pastors in twelve churches around the Detroit area honored their married couples with certificates, corsages, and gifts on the first annual celebration of Marriage Day in metropolitan Detroit on Sunday, June 28, the fourth Sunday of June.

Marriage Day is the brainchild of our ACLC member Rev. Nathan Proche, of the Tree of Life Baptist Church. When he announced his plan to honor the couples in his church a few months ago, we in the ACLC thought it was a great idea. We offered to help with his program and to also promote it to the wider community.

Reverend Proche held the central ceremony in his church at 6:00 pm. It was there that we read the proclamation from the city of Detroit honoring the day. We also read the names of the 12 churches in the Detroit area that asked for Certificates of Honor and Recognition of Marriage to give to their married couples at their morning services. At Reverend Proche’s church, 18 couples were recognized in front of his congregation. Each couple wore corsages and entered the sanctuary in order of the length of their marriage, from longest married (40 years) to the shortest (just three months). Then each couple was presented with the certificate containing Biblical verses on marriage and stating the couple’s length of marriage. Reverend Proche gave a strong, righteous message on the topic. Both of the cochairmen of ACLC, Rev. Earnest Hatcher and Rev. David Kasbow, gave remarks, as well as Rabbi Mark Waldman and Pastor Hanna Sullaka. Our Japanese choir is much beloved at this church and received a standing ovation for their performance honoring the couples. The evening closed with refreshments.

The other 11 churches found out about Marriage Day through articles in the newspaper, press releases, and postcards we sent out to the community. We offered free certificates to the churches to give to their couples. From the positive feedback we received from the pastors, we hope that this day of celebration will expand next year. Regarding follow up, we plan to offer these churches the True Family Values Bible Study and Blessing as a way for them to enrich and strengthen their marriages and families. In a culture that promotes divorce and cohabitation, we have offered one way for churches to be strengthened in a most holy way, through the edification of God’s first institution, marriage!

Rev. David Kasbow