Contact: Dick & Diane Baumbach, Worldwide Marriage Encounter, 321-544-3440, dickanddiane66@bellsouth.net

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Nov. 3, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Nominations for the annual search for the Longest Married Couple (LMC) in the United States, sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME), are now being accepted immediately at wwme.org, it was announced today by Bryan & Karen Berland, coordinators of the project.

"By going to the wwme.org website, individuals can now quickly and easily fill in the short information sheet needed to nominate loved ones or friends who have long and enduring marriages," the Berland's said.

The project runs until Jan. 10, 2018, with the national winners named in February 2018. There will also be 50 state winners that will be announced in the same time period.

Nominations, which are open to all husband and wife couples regardless of religious affiliation, may also be submitted by email, regular mail or by calling a special phone number.

In addition to nominating a couple at the wwme.org website they can also be entered into the project by sending in a nomination by e-mail.  This simply requires the name of the couple, their wedding date and where they currently reside- plus a contact phone or email address of the individual nominating the couple, sent to bkberland@gmail.com.  Nominations are also accepted via regular mail, to: Bryan & Karen Berland 530 S. Academy Guthrie, OK 73044, or a special phone number 405-850-4274. Nominations must be received by midnight January 10th, 2018.

This highly acclaimed activity of recognizing couples for their long marriages, which is in its eighth year, has drawn media attention from around the world.

The majority of the national winners the past seven years have been married for 80 or more years, while state winners usually are 60 to 70 years married.  There have been instances where state winners were married 50 plus years.

There have been over 2400 couples nominated for the honors during the last seven years. Winners of the LMC project are selected solely from nominations submitted.

The national winners will be recognized during Valentine's Week 2018, which coincides with World Marriage Day, which is always the second Sunday of February.

The 2018 national winners will be formally recognized in person by WWME's United States Leadership/Ecclesial Team Joe & Sue Talarico of Concord, CA and Fr. Tom Ogg from Ten Sleep, WY.   They will present the winning couple special gifts at a ceremony to be held at the winner's location during Valentine's week. The state winners will also receive personal recognition at their location along with a special certificate of achievement and congressional recognition from the Worldwide Marriage Encounter movement.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 49 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in almost 100 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other.  Priests are also encouraged to attend a WWME weekend, which offers insights into their relationship with the church and their parishioners, and how their Sacrament of Holy Orders interacts with the Sacrament of Matrimony.  WWME offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today's world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go to wwme.org, or contact the WWME national office at (909) 332-7309.