The Marriage Initiative unites visionary marriage leaders who desire to connect and serve with intentional purpose.

Our Mission

To bring together like-minded community, content, and church leaders who share a passion for strengthening marriages.

• Build Trust: To work together, we must know and trust one another.
• Empower: Help people use their unique talents to work in their highest and best roles.
• Find a Sense of Shared Identity: Unite, partner, and work together, instead of in isolation.

Our Vision

To elevate the importance of marriage through leadership teams collectively and collaboratively working together.

We Help in 3 Ways

Start Local Community Marriage Initiatives:
We help people with the passion to serve marriage, connect with others in their region and together, work towards a larger, more collective goal.
Connect National Marriage Leaders through the Marriage Leader Network.
Connect and unite content leaders, community leaders, church leaders, and couples, and marriage champions through National Marriage Week.

Scott Goodson

Movements are about mobilizing people around shared purpose.

Why a Local Marriage Initiative?

It builds capacity. It brings more people to the mission of solving large-scale problems.
We have to help one another. We must know one another to have that trust and respect needed to depend on each other.
People think and act locally. Problems are best solved at a community level driven by local people with local knowledge and it will help resources flow to the right people.
Builds relationships. Being united on a team with built-in support and energy, makes everyone’s efforts more meaningful.
We all have the opportunity to change the way the world talks about marriages. By offering support and effective resources we can invest in the building up and strengthening of the most valuable relationship in the home.

We as a ministry believe….
That the Bible is error-free. It is the authoritative and inspired Word of God and has supreme authority over all matters.
We as a ministry believe…
That there is one Creator and Ruler of both heaven and earth. There is only one “Most Holy God”. He eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit and He is worthy of all honor, glory, worship, and praise.
We as a ministry believe…
That salvation is God’s free gift to us should we choose to accept that gift. Jesus came to earth as a man and died on the cross for our sins. Those who accept Christ as Lord and Savior by faith are justified by grace to be saved and one day will return to heaven with Him.
We as a ministry believe…
That God designed marriage to bring a husband and wife together in unity for a lifetime. Marriage between a man and a woman is a reflection of Christ’s relationship with the church and serves as a strong foundation for society. Divorce is a painful path to take which reverberates for generations through a family. Our ministry does everything it can to build up, nurture, heal, reconcile, and support a healthy marriage.
We as a ministry believe…
That all human life and gender was created on purpose and is to be valued.
We as a ministry believe…
In the power of prayer.
We as a ministry believe…
That God is a God of forgiveness, grace, mercy, and hope.

Statement of Faith

Meet the Marriage Initiative Team

Carl Caton

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER
Nora Rodriguez

CHURCH LIAISON & MINISTRY DIRECTOR
Carlos Rodriguez

CHURCH LIAISON & MINISTRY DIRECTOR
Dionna Sanchez

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Eliseo Sanchez

DIRECTOR OF OPERATONS
Kay Hanson

DiRECTOR OF MARRIAGE LEADER NETWORK
Steffanie Oltmans

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY MARRIAGE INITIATIVES
Amy Salzwedel

HR/FINANCE DIRECTOR
Anna Panter

DONOR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Amy Morgan

FEATURE WRITER
Taylor Abrahamsen

RESEARCH AND NEWSLETTERS
Jina Rios

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Megan Frommel

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Rickari McCain

COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT
Addison Oltmans

VISUAL DESIGNER
Josette Chavez

NMW MINISTRY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
Scott Oltmans

LOCAL FRAMEWORKS
Samantha Bittman

PROJECT SUPPORT COORDINATOR
Katie MacLeod

FAMILY POLICY DIRECTOR

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Carl Caton, PRESIDENT

Businessman
Board Member - NARME National Association of Relationship & Marriage Educators
Directing Manager - National Marriage Week
Nora Rodriguez, SECRETARY

Co Founder - The Relational Wellness Center
Certified Life Coach and Pastoral Counselor
Certified Prepare Enrich Seminar Director
Certified by Family Dynamics Institute
Jeff Kemp, BOARD MEMBER

Founder, Men Huddle Ministry
Board Member - Fatherhood CoMission
Author, Facing the Blitz
Jeff and his wife, Stacy, are also Weekend to Remember Speakers
Dennis Stoica, BOARD MEMBER

Businessman
Board Member - Live the Life - Florida
Board Member - NARME National Association of Relationship and Marriage Educators
Co-founder of the California Healthy Marriages Coalition
Founder of the Orange County Marriage Resource Center
Smart Marriages IMPACT Award Winner
Jackie Parker, BOARD MEMBER

Entrepreneur and consultant
Certified Public Accountant
Jackie and her husband, Joe, are both Re|engage facilitators