Becoming Married, Staying Married: A Guide for African American Couples

It's easy to fall in love and to get married. But what does it really mean to be married? And how do you stay married?

In Becoming Married, Staying Married, couples will be encouraged to see marriage as a process that never ends. Together they will reflect on current realities particular to African American couples. They will also discover nine key principles that are required for healthy marriages, including concepts like self-awareness, flexibility, maturity, and forgiveness. Practical suggestions on how to further enhance each quality are included, in addition to African proverbs and biblical Scripture that relate to marriage. Questions for discussion and reflection are included at the end of each chapter.

This insightful resource can be used by African American couples at various stages of their relationship, but it is especially helpful to engaged and newly married couples. Pastor may also choose to use this book as a discussion starter for premarital counseling.

William Marcus Small is the Senior Pastor of New Calvary Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia. He also serves as a Pastoral Counselor at Tidewater Pastoral Counseling Services in Norfolk, Virginia, where he facilitates pre-marriage seminars.