Brett and Kellie Hurst Synchronize Pastoral Position, Non-Profit Ministry to Encourage Marriages in Houston
Like many in ministry, Brett Hurst wears more than one hat. He’s served as the associate pastor responsible for all things pertaining to relationships at Memorial Drive ECO Presbyterian Church (MDPC) for the past 26 years. Men’s groups, women’s studies, weddings, parenting and marriage ministry fall under his purview. Sixteen years ago, he and his wife, Kellie, began thinking about how to broaden their reach to the community and not limit serving marriage and couples to their own congregation. In 2007 they founded Home Encouragement Ministries, which Kellie runs as Director.
Put Together for a Purpose: Danny Panter Oversees Marriage Strong Ministry at First Baptist Church of San Antonio
Danny Panter serves as the Associate Pastor for Logos Worship and NextGen Marrieds at First Baptist Church of San Antonio. He and his wife, Anna, came to the church in fall of 2014 to lead its contemporary worship gathering, manage several Sunday School classes for married couples, and supervise community missions. They did not have to start at ground zero to prioritize marriage ministry at First Baptist. The church had already laid the foundation for a marriage ministry by hosting an event with Dr. Gary Chapman, offering semi-regular date night events, and securing pastoral support.
Celebrating Marriage: Couples, Experts Agree Upon its Lifelong Benefits
The week culminating with Valentine’s Day, Feb. 7-14, is designated National Marriage Week to celebrate and promote marriage. The 2024 theme is Love Beyond Words.
No great success is achieved in one moment, but rather in deposits and investments of time, commitment, dedication, intentionality, and action. The same goes with marriage. Living faithfully to the vows made on our wedding day is a Love Beyond Words.
Roger Gibson Taps Relationships, Experiences to Build Church Marriage Ministry from Ground Zero
Roger Gibson has been the Marriage and Family Pastor at Fellowship of the Parks since 2016. The multi-site church encompasses five campuses in the Fort Worth area. You may recognize the maiden name of his wife, Kari Smalley Gibson, as being the daughter of marriage ministry pioneer Gary Smalley. Roger and Kari met in middle school and became high school sweethearts. Roger’s passion for marriage was birthed by literally growing up with the Smalley family. Roger and Greg Smalley (now Vice President of Marriage and Family Formation at Focus on the Family) would run Gary’s book table at speaking events like Promise Keepers. Men would tell him, “I desperately needed that message,” or “That book changed my life.” “I realized that fun guy I liked to be with (Gary) made a big impact on people’s lives,” Roger said.
Marriage Pastor; Innovative Systems Creator
Derek Irvin’s career did not directly lead to his current position spearheading a thriving church marriage ministry. His first position was in outside sales, where he looked for ways to apply the innovative principles he learned in graduate business classes in entrepreneurship. As Derek and his wife attended Northview Church in Indianapolis, they were dismayed to notice marriages crumbling around them. They thought, “There’s got to be a better way.”
How God Raises Up Champions
Brady and Melissa Vandeberg experienced God’s redemptive power in their lives and marriage first-hand, as he took them from a place of brokenness to full-time service in marriage ministry. Their story serves a shining contradiction to anyone’s fear that their background or decisions make them ineligible for God’s kingdom work.
How SAMI’s City Project Supports a Vision: Establishing a Local Initiative Through the Eyes of Marriage Mentors in Wyoming
A Community Marriage Initiative like SAMI engages local leaders in key roles to encourage, promote, and support community-wide implementation of marriage ministries in local churches with the purpose of strengthening marriages and families and reducing local divorce rates. In 2021 SAMI leadership decided to formalize the system of mentorship and support they’d been sharing with others wishing to follow their example. They named the new entity City Project, which created a pathway of steps through which those with a passion for marriage could focus their efforts most effectively.