"A marriage renewal ceremony and seminars for 47 couples and guests provided an extraordinary weekend for all participants,” said Adolphus Garnett, SCC’s director of the Greater Los Angeles Region churches, said of the recent weekend event. “Turnout for the wedding renewal ceremony exceeded our expectations.”

Decton and Tisha Mitchell, M.D., were among the first couples in the procession. As Decton, smiling broadly, made his entrance down the aisle in his wheelchair, the congregation cheered the couple on. Ernie and Irene Morford renewed their vows after 56 years of marriage.

“The entire weekend encouraged awareness that our society is only as strong as the family,” added Garnett. “The ‘My Family Matters’ strategic plan adopted by Greater L.A. Region churches promotes and fosters healthy family relationships because the church, too, is only a strong as individual families.”

Four couples who had never had a church wedding shared the platform with the six officiating clergy, surrounded by candelabras and exquisitely decorated pillars.

Johnathon and Surre O'Neal, married and baptized just nine months earlier as the only Adventists in their family, had invited 23 family members to attend. In the beginning, family members were unhappy about the O’Neals’ decision to join the Adventist family. Blessed and moved by the ceremony, they expressed a desire to participate in next year’s ceremony—and an openness to hear more about the O’Neals’ new faith.

“What participants didn’t see at the Saturday evening ceremony,” said Garnett, “was a testimonial shared during the Sunday-morning brunch and seminar at a hotel in Los Angeles. One husband and wife said they had been on the verge of divorcing when they received information about the seminars and the ceremony. At the last minute, they decided to attend. ‘We are so glad we got the flyer,’ they told brunch attendees, adding that they had received help that weekend and had decided to stay together and not give up on their marriage.

“Participants appreciated the quality of the program and the exceptional music. Schubert Palmer, M.D., and his wife, Ullanda Innocent-Palmer, were the major coordinators of the event, which was a spinoff of their own marriage ceremony and the largest they had coordinated to date.

“We were pleased that couples from other regions participated or attended and that some couples came from the community. The weekend was not intended just for region members.”

Continuing with “My Family Matters,” the region’s theme for 2007 will be “Families at the Altar.” Pastor John Lomacang, who regularly appears on 3ABN-TV, presented the wedding-renewal homily on Ruth’s marriage to her kinsman-redeemer, Boaz, applying it to contemporary marriages and to Christ. Lomacang is producing a DVD focused on the family altar that will include a song on that theme which he composed and sang for the ceremony. His wedding-renewal message is being developed as a Bible study for the DVD. For further information, call 818-546-8443.