Thirty Years of Local Marriage & Divorce Stats

For each of the past 30 years I have asked for divorce and marriage statistics from our local court, numbers graciously provided since 1996. While our Rockingham-Harrisonburg population has grown by over 50% since then, the number of annual divorces has remained fairly constant, 414 in 2025. But last year did see a record number of marriage licenses issued, 1053, 28 more than last year's record of 1025. 

Of those experiencing marital breakups last year, 314 were uncontested (no-fault divorces), 24 were contested cases and the rest were marked as unknown. 

Meanwhile, while we have good records of documented marriages in our community, we have no statistics on the increased number of partners living together without registering their undocumented marriages (many, by the way, do not realize that Virginia gives no legal status to "common law" marriages). Also, we have no record of how many of our unregistered marriages are experiencing de facto divorces, with the same kinds of stressful effects such breakups can have on children and other close family members and friends.

Here are the numbers of registered marriages and divorces over the past 30 years:

Year       Marriages     Divorces

1996           873                 387    (fewest annual marriages)

1997           950                 405

1998           964                 396

1999           932                 405

2000           947                 365

2001          1003                438     

2002           976                 421

2003           961                 399

2004           959                 437

2005           889                 381

2006           929                 389

2007           925                 434

2008           950                 405

2009           903                 347 

2010           879                 358     

2011           933                 433

2012           995                 445

2013           924                 484    

2014           972                 427

2015           955                 474

2016           985                 612     (most annual divorces)

2017           983                 426

2018           935                 476

2019           947                 487

2020           882                 445

2021           994                 466

2022           954                 332     (fewest annual divorces)

2023           961                 366

2024          1025                400     

2025          1053               414     (most annual marriages)

It should be noted that an unknown percentage of these represent people who are from other localities. Clerk of Court Chaz Haywood believes that number may be significant, particular in the case of divorce, in that uncontested divorces are known to be more easily obtained here than in some localities. 

It should also be noted that we cannot assume a rate of divorce based on any one year's numbers, as in "over 40% of first time marriages in our community will end in divorce,” since, for example, many of the above couples are marrying or divorcing for a second, third or fourth time, and future divorce rates could increase or decrease for a variety of reasons. But with numbers like these over a period of decades, we can safely conclude that the odds of a given first marriage surviving are well above 50%.

As a long time marriage and family counselor, I celebrate any signs of our having more stable and healthy marriages and families. I know that not all divorces are preventable, and that some, regrettably, are even necessary, but our communities, congregations and extended families need to provide all of the support and encouragement we can to existing marriages and our families. Children still want, and deserve, happily married parents.

Evangelicals And The Second Beast (False Prophet) of the Revelation

The cruelty of the military-industrial alliance of
world empires would never be tolerated without
some form of civil religion to legitimatize and
rationalize it. See link.

Should we be concerned about the number of evangelicals (including Mennonites) who earnestly and vocally defend the policies and actions of the current head of the US (or any other) empire?

Here are some current examples: 

1. Unqualified support for the Biden/Harris and Trump/Vance administrations' uninterrupted military aid to Israel as it continues to utterly destroy Gaza and murder and maim thousands of men, women and innocent children. 

There has been far too much silence on the part of many Christians  about the clear teachings of Jesus and the prophets against any brutality toward even our enemies. Biblical promises of land and refuge for the descendants of Abraham cannot  be used to justify any and all means of retribution used against the barbaric acts of Hamas on October 7.

2. Justification of heavy-handed deportation tactics against immigrants who are without updated or proper legal status, regardless of the effect on innocent family members. 

Statements in support of border security and for the strict application of immigration law appear to supersede any Biblical concerns for welcoming aliens and refugees, even those who have fled here for their lives. And there has been too little support by way of offering legal and other help for otherwise law abiding immigrants to gain legal status, maintain employment, and keep their families together, a large percentage of whom are fellow Christians.

3. Unquestioning support of whatever means necessary to depose a dictatorial head of state, in spite of the dangerous precedent such unilateral action sets for other nations around the globe. 

In the case of the recent military invasion of Venezuela the primary justification I hear from many evangelicals is that it successfully rid the country of its dictator and that it will be to the economic advantage of the US and ultimately the citizens of that country. What I hear is simply, "Let's see how this works," and "We pray this will result in a good outcome." In other words, might makes right, and the ends justify whatever Machiavellian means necessary, including the killing of as many as 80 people, an unknown number of them civilians, 

Surely evangelicals and other followers of Jesus have a far greater calling than to simply endorse the Beast-like policies or actions of whatever empire or emperor of which they are a part. We can expect that kind of support from those the seer of Revelation identifies as speaking with the voice of the Second Beast, or False Prophet, described in chapter 13 as seconding and supporting whatever the First Beast  decrees. While we are to pay tribute to, and show respect for, our Caesars, we are clearly not to render them our ultimate allegiance or support their every policy.

So to what extent has the evangelical community become a mouthpiece for the False Prophet, described in the Revelation as having "horns like a lamb" but whose words are those of the Dragon?

New Year Revelations For 2026 And Beyond

"Your elders will dream dreams," writes the prophet Joel, speaking of a time when God's Spirit inspires new visions by both men and women, slave and free, young and old, everywhere.

While the following reflections may not seem like new insights to many of you, here are three dreams I'm praying will transform our lives in the New Year and the years to come. 

1. I'm seeing Spirit-birthed community as essential in re-visioning who we are and motivating us to live purpose-driven and other-centered lives. We cannot become whole persons or effective servants of God without deep relationships with fellow believers, since the Bible is not simply a source of inspiration for personal enrichment but is addressed to members of a God-inspired movement meant to celebrate the shalom of heaven here on earth. 

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2013/08/should-bible-be-tethered-to-our-churches.html

2. I'm seeing divine love as the mother of all virtues, and the command to love God passionately and every neighbor compassionately as the sum of everything found in scripture. If love is our greatest mandate, our failure to demonstrate it is our greatest sin. On the other hand, every act of Christ-like love and mercy we show will result in untold blessing.

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2025/12/where-there-is-love-there-is-christian.html

3. I'm seeing people around the globe as one God-blessed neighborhood in which each of its 8 billion inhabitants deserves an equitable share and no one is in want anywhere unless all are in want. As wealthy North Americans we dare not "fare sumptuously every day" while masses of impoverished people are denied the equivalence of scraps from our bountiful tables. I see adopting a kind of internationalist mindset as a needed antidote to our individualism and nationalism.

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2025/03/an-alternative-to-two-heresies.html

I believe all of this could be revolutionary and life changing, and dream of being a part of a joyfully repentant people who proclaim peace on earth and goodwill toward people everywhere. 

Thanks for your prayers and for taking time to reflect on posts like this recent widely read one:

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-heresy-too-many-of-us-embrace.html