Rev Les Isaac Advocates for Church Support in Strengthening Marriages
Rev Les Isaac, known for founding Street Pastors, along with his wife Louise, reflects on their 45-year marriage, describing it as “good” albeit not without its challenges. Speaking at an online event organized by Keep the Faith magazine, Rev Isaac shared insights from the early years of their marriage, noting how they have since become advocates for supporting other couples through their experiences.
The couple emphasizes the importance of strengthening marriages within churches, acknowledging that even Christian couples face difficulties. “Some years ago Louise coined this phrase: ‘The length of a marriage is not evidence of the health of the marriage,’” Rev Isaac remarked.
He pointed out that many marriages within the church require significant support and repair, an area he feels the Church currently neglects. Louise Isaac added that understanding marriage in a “spiritual context” is crucial, highlighting that spiritual dynamics can influence marital conflicts.
Recounting a conversation with a non-Christian friend, Louise said, “A friend of mine some years ago said to me I love my partner but I will never marry him. As I asked why, she said her observation is that when her friends are living with their partners, they’re fine. The minute they get married something changes and there is friction and conflict at a far greater degree than there was before.”
This observation, according to Louise, underscores a spiritual dynamic affecting marriage, prompting her to urge churches to prioritize prayer for marriages within their agendas.
Louise believes churches should be “intentional” in supporting relationships and investing in couples through dedicated marriage ministries. Rev Isaac, who was awarded an OBE in 2012, called on church leaders to be forthright with their congregations concerning relationship challenges, encouraging timely interventions.
“Sometimes we’re struggling in our communication, struggling sexually, struggling financially. All these things are part of the journey. I often say to ministers that we only get to know there are problems in the marriage when they have gone to the solicitors to file for divorce,” he shared.
Rev Isaac also addressed a “culture of silence” within the Church, which often leads congregations to assume leaders are immune to marital issues. He believes honesty from church leaders can encourage members to seek help for their own marital struggles.
“I believe there should be a relationship teaching series on a Sunday morning for everyone. I think the Church should have a series on family relationships and really bring up that biblical perspective of what a good relationship looks like,” he suggested.
Despite acknowledging the Church’s challenges, Louise Isaac remains hopeful, asserting that “God’s help can actually make journeying easier if we tap into what God is saying but also tap into where people are at and where they need to be.”
Rev Isaac is optimistic about the Church’s potential to support marriages, provided pastors leverage the resources within their congregations. “We are not suggesting that the pastors or the leadership has to do everything. We have a lot of skilled, gifted, and educated people within the church,” he said.
Encouraging churches to empower these individuals, Rev Isaac stated, “One of the things that we constantly encourage the Church to do is to find these people, empower them [and] set the framework so that they can function and be a source of encouragement to people.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
