Contact: Marco Ciavolino, Media Contact, 410-838-8264; Rev. Cornell (Corkie) Haan, D.Min, Director, 480-572-7272

PHOENIX, April 9 /Christian Newswire/ -- Research shows that people who are married are happier and live longer than those who are not. Married couples make for a better and more stable community. Clergy play important roles; in the wedding itself and in the building of strong marriages.

A new site with marriage resources was launched by Rev. Cornell (Corkie) Haan, D.Min, who has served as National Facilitator for Ministry Networks for the Mission America Coalition, a coalition of over 82 denominations and hundreds of national para-church ministries. He also was co-founder of the Presidential Prayer Team that sends out approximately three million emails a week.

Pastor Haan noted, "Marriage is in disarray in America. High divorce rates and unwed childbearing are not good for children and not good for our culture. The church can play a role in strengthening marriage, and clergy are especially crucial in leading the way by providing instruction and encouragement. For this reason, we have devised a set of resources to assist pastors with their preaching and teaching for the sake of strengthening marriage."

The web site includes sample sermons, including a short sermon that can be delivered at weddings. "Curiously enough," noted Pastor Haan, "clergy have a great opportunity to talk about how to make marriages great through better communication and the forgiveness process. This site calls all clergy to regularly use their ministry at weddings and in building strong marriages through their Sunday sermons. What could be better than reminding the couple being married of some of the key things that will be important in their married life and reminding at the same times all those present?"

Also, the web site has information on two organizations that have been working towards strengthening marriage in communities around the country. One group-- Marriage Savers-- has started Community Marriage Policies™ in 220 plus communities in America. These policies are statements from groups of local clergy in various Christian denominations and otherwise to encourage preparation for marriage, marriage enrichment when married and marriage saving when marriages get in trouble. These policies, started in 1986 in Modesto, California have reduced divorce in communities by helping to avoid unsound marriages and strengthening and enriching marriage preparation and marriage itself. One independent study showed that divorces were reduced by 17 percent once a community marriage policy was implemented. Another group--The Marriage Co-Mission-- has brought together many local organizations around the country that are developing Community Marriage Initiatives, a similar effort to bring local clergy together to strengthen marriage.

All resources are at www.marriageresourcesforclergy.com

About Rev. Cornell L. Haan, D.Min.: He is better known to friends as "Corkie". Since 1995 he has served as the National Facilitator for Mission America Coalition, the co-founder of The Presidential Prayer Team and the President of Kingdom Connections, where he connects ministries to resources. Pastor Haan has served 34 years in seven churches as their Senior Pastor from which he has planted seven new churches. He is a graduate of Bethel Seminary. He resides in Arizona with his wife, Ginger. Haan is joining together with many others in a call to all clergy to make each community a better place to live by strengthening marriages. Together we can reduce the divorce rate and encourage healthy families that raise children that will be the future leaders in America.