Pre-marital counselling and marital stability among selected churches in Ada community

Abstract

Pre-marital preparation has been designed for couples prior to marriage and aimed at preventing future distress in marriage by providing an awareness of potential problems that may occur, and to foster the growth and satisfaction of marital unions. Pre-marital preparation comes in different forms in Ghana, including that of the family, community and religious bodies. This study focuses on counselling, which is one aspect of pre-marital preparation systems Christians offer to the would be couples before they get married. In most Ghanaian churches, pre-marital preparation has been a core component of the church socialization process. It has been viewed by churches as an effective means of reducing the high rate of divorce. In view of this, it becomes a social cause of worry when there is frequent breakdown in marriages among Christians. This trend however, appears to be common among Christians in Ghana and elsewhere in the World. It is against this backdrop of concern of the growing level of marital distortion among church members that prompted the attention of the researcher to investigate the effectiveness of pre-marital counselling on marital stability in Ada community using Kasseh as case study. The study employed the qualitative research approach and a case study design with information derived from participants, using purposive and convenient sampling techniques. The study uses data from interviews derived from leaders in six churches, twenty-one Christian couples and relay on documents to do the analysis. The study revealed that the churches have laid down processes to ensure successful counselling to their would-be married couples. The study therefore, recommends other forms of pre-marital systems be studied to unearth where the problem of high divorce rate emanates. It also recommends the establishment of marriage institution and adequate parenting as a way of curbing the rising trends of marital breakdowns in Ghana.