It all started with a chance meeting…. Arkansas State Representative David Ray (representing a suburb of Little Rock) happened to attend a Faith and Family event at a local church as part of his customary efforts to keep his finger on the pulse of his district. Mark Ellis, the church liaison for the Arkansas Marriage Initiative, had set up a table and was raffling off a few door prizes – one of which was Brad Wilcox’s Get Married. The book caught David’s eye, and when he happened to win the drawing, the two connected.

David and Mark, along with Mark’s wife, Michelle, met a few days later for coffee and prize pickup, during conversation, Mark asked David a crucial question:

“What is the state of Arkansas doing to promote marriage?” David confessed he didn’t have a very good answer and found himself at a rare loss for words.