"I Still Do" Seminars

July 20, 1999

A recent article in the Washington Times opened with the statement, "Dennis Rainey is going to war for marriage." I am a big fan of Dennis Rainey, and seeing his name in print in the Washington Times was great fun.

But the issue he is addressing isn't fun. FamilyLife is holding "I Still Do" seminars around the country to focus on problems within marriage. The article in the Washington Times says that Dennis sound downright militaristic. He talks about "declaring war on divorce" and "stabbing the divorce culture in the heart." And he is right.

Even secular writers like Diane Medved talk about "The Case Against Divorce" and Barbara Defoe Whitehead talk about "The Divorce Culture." Marriages are falling apart, and FamilyLife wants to do something about it.

The idea for the "I Still Do" conferences sprang from a February meeting in Dallas with various organizations. The leaders agreed that the idea of covenant marriage needed to be revived in today's society.

The "I Still Do" conferences are described as a blend of Promise Keepers-style stadium rallies and FamilyLife's own marriage conferences. The conference features such speakers as Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages and Joe Stowell, president of the Moody Bible Institute. And, of course, Dennis and his wife Barbara speak as well. The seminars have already taken place in San Diego, San Jose, and Washington, D.C. But it's not too late to sign up for the one in Houston in October.

The sessions focus on the marriage covenant, communication skills, sexual intimacy, the roles of husband and wife, and leaving a legacy. These are vital issues that couples (and our whole society) needs to learn and implement.

I salute Dennis Rainey and FamilyLife. They are not just passively watching a social trend and throwing up their hands. They're making a difference, and that's why the Washington Times wrote an article about it.

I'm Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries, and that's my opinion.