30 couples

A pastor in Texas recently made an offer to couples in his church who were living together:

He urged them to get married . . and the church would pay the costs if they would do it, including dresses and rings and maybe even a month's rent.

Many couples see cohabiting together as a step toward marriage, but up to half never get married . A woman who lived with her boyfriend for four years said later, “I felt like I was on this multiyear, never-ending audition to be his wife.” 

"After the church service Sunday morning, at 2 p.m., Carter said nearly 30 couples came up to him to start the process of “stepping into marriage,” an undertaking he said takes 90 days to complete."

“We don’t just call out the issues that we face. We give people pathways . ."

photo of pastor