Contact: Dick & Diane Baumbach, Worldwide Marriage Encounter, 321-544-3440, dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Nov. 18, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Nominations continue to come in from all over the country for the longest married couple project sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME), the original faith-based marriage enrichment program in this country. The project honors one national winner and winners from each of the 50 states and U.S. territories.

It appears that nominations are following the same pattern as the last seven years when hundreds of families enter names of couples during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. That's the latest report from Dick & Diane Baumbach and Fr. Dick Morse, who serve as the coordinators for the project.

"As we enter the Thanksgiving and Christmas season we see an upsurge of nominations as families gather together and spend time with family members who have long marriages." explained the coordinators. They added, "It is so wonderful to see how many younger couples and family members nominate their parents and grandparents for the honor."

Plans call for Joe & Sue Talarico and Fr. Tom Ogg, the United States Ecclesial Team for WWME, to personally present the longest married couple in the United States with special gifts during the February, 2017 Valentine week period. During the same time frame the state winners will receive a special certificate of achievement and recognition from the Worldwide Marriage Encounter representatives in their states.

"This project is held every year to honor the commitment of married couples and to give hope to younger couples- that they can have long and lasting marriages," the Baumbachs and Fr. Morse said adding "Folks can also go to wwmelmc.com or wwme.org to find out more information."

Nominations, which are open to all husband and wife couples regardless of faith expression, may be submitted by email, regular mail or by calling a special phone number.

The information for sending in a nomination requires the name of the couple, their wedding date and what city and state they reside in, while the nominator needs to include their name plus a phone number or email address so they can be contacted if their nominee is a national or state winner.  Upon determination of winners initial contact is made by WWME with nominators not directly with the winning couple. The nomination information should be sent by one of the following ways: email wwmelmc2017@gmail.com or dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net; regular mail Dick & Diane Baumbach 188 Pinellas Lane #401 Cocoa Beach, FL 32931 and special phone number 321-804-2310. Nominations must be received by January 10th, 2017.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 48 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in just under 100 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. It offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today's world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go to wwme.org, or contact the WWME Office at (909) 332-7309.