Study: Divorce Rates Plummet in Florida City Thanks to Christian Family Initiative

Tyler O'Neil : Oct 21, 2019
PJ Media

"Faith and family tend to be mutually reinforcing. Married couples are more likely to attend church; and churchgoers are more likely to form and maintain healthy marriages." -John Paul De Gance

[PJMedia.com] This week, the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) and the Philanthropy Roundtable released a study showing that a Christian pro-family initiative had a measurable impact in driving down divorce rates in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jacksonville Baptist Association and the Roman Catholic diocese united to launch the Culture of Freedom Initiative (COFI) to strengthen marriages and prevent divorces. The three-year initiative ran from 2016 to 2018 and coincided with a 24 percent drop in the local divorce rate. (Image: Pixabay)

"Our hard work in Duval County shows that, when churches adopt best practices and leverage Big Data, they can make a real difference in people's lives," John Paul De Gance, who ran the initiative and founded the group Communio to bring COFI to other parts of the country, said in a statement. "We are proud to have helped enhance family stability in Jacksonville, and we look forward to working with churches to apply the Jacksonville model in counties across America."

"When married couples have access to 21st century marital resources, they are better-equipped to work through their problems and remain together, in healthy and loving relationships," De Gance added.

From 2016-2018, COFI reached more than 11,000 adults per year for a total of approximately 50,000 people. Partnering with Tallahassee nonprofit Live the Life (LTL) and a range of churches and other nonprofits, COFI also sponsored more than 28 million digital impressions, advertising a pro-marriage message in Duval County. This initiative had a budget of approximately $1.75 million per year—money well spent, apparently... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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