WS Chronicle

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY 

THE CHRONICLE

Maintaining a successful marriage in today’s society can be strenuous and demanding.

The Marriage Ministry of Holy Trinity Full Gospel Fellowship Center acknowledges this.  To help couples in the congregation navigate through the ups and downs of marriage, the ministry conducts marriage outings to help strengthen the bond between husband and wife.

The ministry feels that through counsel with other married couples, everyone in attendance will be able to relate and understand that they are not alone in their walk through married life. Olympeia and Rick Howell, married for 21 years, are head of the Marriage Ministry at Holy Trinity.

“The biggest pleasure I get from this is knowing that what –we’ve shared from our personal experiences have helped other couples save or enhance their marriage,” Olympeia said.

Rick followed up with, “Seeing the way God has brought us from the way that we were, I never thought we would be the head of this ministry, to put us in a position to share our lives with others and let them know God can take the impossible and make it possible.  God is still working on us and we are able to share that work with others at the same time.”

Olympeia used a candle with two scents as a metaphor for a marriage.  She stated the two scents have to blend together like two people in a marriage.

The years of marriage for the four couples in attendance ranged from just over a year to 49 years. Richard Miller, pastor of Holy Trinity, and his wife, Ernestine, bestowed some helpful advice to the other couples who where there.  They spoke about the role of husband and wife in the home as well as the importance of making it through turbulent times that can occur during the first five years of marriage.

“What has brought us this far is our relationship with God and with each other,” Pastor Miller stated.  “God put us together, and us learning how to appreciate and love one another is what caused us to make it 49 years.”

Mrs. Miller said that God is the glue that holds a marriage together.  She said that she will always apply the Word of the Lord to her life and marriage because it says, “If we do the Word, the Word in turn will hold us and keep us.”

Newlywed couples often go through the most turmoil in marriage because often they are not equipped to handle the new situational arguments that occur during that time.  Antonio and Ericka Howell have been married for a year and four months and know that being around couples who have been where they are can only push their marriage in the right direction.

Antonio, who has seen a successful marriage between his parents and grandparents, knows firsthand what it takes to make a marriage last.  He stated that it is sometimes tough for newlywed couples in 2016 to last because they try to emulate the images shown on reality TV and try to portray an image outwardly that may not be reality behind closed doors.

Toni and Darrell Jeter have been married for 13 years.  Darrell said that early on, there will be disagreements, but couples have to realize just because they are not on the same page does not mean the marriage is over.  He said seeing other married couples go through similar issues helped him realize there is hope.  He said that keeping God at the center will enable him and his wife to make it 49 years.

Toni Jeter said the biggest thing she has learned from the ministry is not to look at other couples and compare her marriage to theirs.  Because she was married at a young age, she wants to convey to other couples to not be selfish and remember it’s “we” not “I” once you get married.

The Marriage Ministry of Holy Trinity meets periodically to continue to help one another.  To sum up the evening, Olympeia Howell went back to her candle metaphor and stated, “When it comes to marriage, you have to keep one fragrance and make that fragrance strong.”