By Kevin Palmer
If Georgia is a Bible Belt state considered to be one of the most religious, then why are only 31.8% of Augusta residents married?
Could it be Augusta values the pastime of golf more than the institution of marriage? A June 2023 article by Richie Bernardo titled, 2022’s Best Cities to Get (and Stay) Married, ranked 2022’s best cities to get and stay married. The article compared 190 of the biggest cities across nine key indicators of nuptial success. Augusta ranked near the bottom at 189 which means the city is not marriage friendly.
Or, could the low percentage mean Augusta has too few pastors with a biblical worldview toward marriage? A nationwide survey titled, The American Worldwide Inventory 2022, conducted by the Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University, stated “Among all Christian pastors in the United States, slightly more than one out of every three (37%) possess a biblical worldview.” This means the majority of U.S. pastors do not trust the bible.
Therefore, it can be surmised the vast majority of Augusta’s 155 Christian churches have pastors who are not using the Bible to encourage congregation members regarding marriage.
