Contact: Cat Hoort, Director of Publicity and Promotions, Beautiful Womanhood, 616-498-1469

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 6, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- In a widely-criticized 2008 report, the Barna Group shockingly revealed that the divorce rate inside the church was no different than the national average. The report found that the divorce rate among all born again Christians was 32 percent, which is statistically identical to the 33 percent figure among non-born again adults. "There no longer seems to be much of a stigma attached to divorce," said George Barna. "It is now seen as an unavoidable rite of passage."

Without being pedantic over statistics or the lack of improvement in the divorce rate since this study was published, the perception that divorce is unavoidable should be a paramount concern to the church. This view sends a clear and disturbing message. If marriage is considered a biblical institution, why is the church not doing more to safeguard couples from relationship failure?

Acclaimed author and speaker Sandy Ralya believes the church can -- and should -- be more proactive. The founder and director of Beautiful Womanhood, a growing marriage mentoring ministry for Christian wives, Ralya is leading a campaign to reduce the divorce rate by 50% in any church who adopts the Beautiful Womanhood program.

The key to dramatic change in marriage statistics is marriage mentorship, a biblical concept inspired by Titus 2: 3-5. Born out of Ralya's own marriage struggles, Beautiful Womanhood will tackle their goal through key strategies that will assist churches and community groups in building their own marriage mentoring ministry.

Beautiful Womanhood will:

1. Offer seminars to encourage wives while training marriage mentors on how to lead women into God's word
    
2. Assist churches in setting up Beautiful Womanhood small groups, using the curriculum featuring The Beautiful Wife, The Beautiful Wife Mentor's Guide, and The Beautiful Wife Prayer Journal
    
3. Dedicate personal advice and online resources from Sandy Ralya and the Beautiful Womanhood team

About: Sandy Ralya is the founder and director of Beautiful Womanhood, a marriage mentoring ministry based near Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her marriage testimony was the focus of a popular three-day interview on FamilyLife Today, TV's Walking by Faith, and Time Out for Women. Sandy is a sought-after speaker, presenting Beautiful Womanhood seminars to hundreds of women each year at MOPS groups, women's retreats, and church leadership conferences across the country and in Canada. Sandy and her husband, Tom, have been married since 1980 and have a growing number of grandchildren.