Saga Mental Health &
Relationship Centers
Fatherlessness
and Christian Families
Fathers Are Absent in America
There are around 18.3 million children in the US living without a father at home, which is about 25% of all American children.
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The US is experiencing a crisis of fatherlessness, with over half of children born out of wedlock today, a stark increase from 1950.
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Single mothers lead 80% of single-parent households.
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70% of youth in state-operated facilities are from single-parent households.
A Child's Life without a Father
Children from single-parent families are twice as likely to face mental health and behavioral challenges compared to those in two-parent homes.
Fatherless homes have a stronger correlation with suicide among children and teenagers compared to other risk factors.
The vast majority of runaway and homeless youth come from homes without a father figure.
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Many school shooters lacked a fatherly presence in their lives.
The lack in Church's Relational Ministries
In the Christian community, it is a common for individuals facing crises within their families to turn to the church for support and guidance. However, many churches are not adequately equipped to address the underlying issues that lead to family crises or to provide the necessary support to strengthen family structures.
93% of pastors are the first responders to couples in crises,
yet 57% feel ill-equipped to help them.
72% of churches in America do not have significant marriage ministry programs.
74% of churches do not offer a ministry specifically designed to support newlyweds during their initial crucial years of marriage.
93% of churches do not offer any ministries for those who are single.
A large majority of churches report spending 0% of their ministry dollars on marriage and relationship ministries.
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Research conducted by Communio, a non profit
Fatherlessness affects the spread
of the gospel
When the father is absent, there is often a lack of support or community for nurturing the child's faith and well-being. In cases where a single mother is working multiple jobs and is unable to be present in the child's life, the child may grow up without learning Christian values or witnessing an example of a Christian life. A strong family structure significantly impacts whether children continue to practice the Christian faith as adults. This shows that there is a direct connection between a strong family and the spread of the gospel.
Our plan to help
We approach the topic of fatherlessness within the context of families. We strongly believe that churches have a unique opportunity and responsibility to address fatherlessness in our nation. We aim to provide support to local churches in the form of education and to support pastors in providing marriage crisis counseling. We recognize from research that there is a need for churches to develop ministries and programs that focus on prevention, and support for families in order to prevent the family breakdown. 95% of Saga's therapists are licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT), making them experts in relationships. It is evident that the traditional family is facing challenges on multiple fronts in our society. Fatherlessness is a pandemic that is eroding our family structure and our society. It is also hindering the spread of the gospel, and contributing to the decline in church attendance nationwide.