Living Single

							                                         Living Single
By Barbara Babcock Chizmas

ASAM Targets Church’s Fastest Growing Segment
There is a huge, untapped potential for ministry to single adults, who represent the fastest growing
segment of society and in the Seventh-day Adventist Church! Approximately 40 percent of Adventists
are single—some by choice—others by circumstance. The North American Division recognizes this
and Adventist Single Adult Ministries (ASAM) is now an official component of Family Ministries.

“Single Adventists in North America are valued, appreciated, and a growing population whose talents
and resources need to be engaged in ministry,” says Willie Oliver, Family Ministries director. “Like
Jesus, who was a single adult, this group has the capacity to focus on ministry like very few others.”

ASAM evolved from Adventist Singles Ministries, which was independently operated, but not func-
tioning for several years. Today, ASAM works to develop resources, coordinate and promote training
events, and provide networking opportunities for those working on behalf of single adults in North
America.

The Many Faces of Singles
Overall, singles are a highly diverse population. They represent more than 79 million people and com-
prise four generations of adults—each with its own set of traits and needs.

According to The Single Adult Ministry Journal, Issue 1309, p. 7, the term “single adult” covers a wide
range of categories and age groups.

Categories of Singles
1. Never married - 46.5 million (18 years old and up)
2. Divorced - 19.4 million
3. Widowed - 13.5 million (most are over 65 years of age)
4. Separated - 7.2 million (legally married, but living a single lifestyle)

Within North America, approximately 48 percent of all individuals are single, with only 26 percent of
all households consisting of the “traditional” family unit of father, mother, and children. The potential to
minister to this rapidly growing group is vast.

The following illustrates how the typical household has changed:

Changes in U.S. Households 1990 – 2000
71% Increase in Unmarried-Partner Households
25% Increase in Female-Headed Single-Parent Families
62% Increase in Male-Headed Single-Parent Families
21% Increase in Single Person Households
7% Increase in Married-Couple Households

People are also marrying at a later age, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Interestingly, today’s
unmarried young adults consider themselves “not yet married” instead of “single.”

Median Age at First Marriage
Year Men Women
2000 26.8 25.1
1990 26.1 23.9
1980 24.7 22.0
1970 23.2 20.8
1960 22.8 20.3

The number of single parents is also on the rise. While this may be due to the death of a spouse, it is
far more likely to be the result of a divorce occurring during active child-rearing years.

Percentage of U.S. Single Parent Families
1970 13%
1980 22%
1990 28%
2000 36%
Source: Single Adult Ministry Journal – Issue 113, p. 1

Second Time Singles Speak Out
As singles outside of the Adventist Church can attest, there’s a definite stigma associated with being
unattached. Unfortunately, these perceptions are sometimes heightened within the Church.

Here are some comments from Adventists who find themselves single, for the second time:

“After my divorce, I felt like an outcast. Friends of my husband and I didn’t know how to relate to me,
so they ignored me.”

“The head elder in my church asked me what I had done to ‘make my wife leave me.’ I was so hurt, I
didn’t come back to church for several months. I thought about not coming back at all.”

“I was widowed at age 34, devastated, and didn’t have enough money to put food on the table. How I
longed for an invitation to Sabbath lunch with couples that we used to socialize with. The phone never
rang, and my calls were not returned.”

Strategies and Solutions
The newly formed ASAM committee met in Silver Spring, Maryland on October 31, 2003, and has
had several significant accomplishments since that first meeting. One in particular was the decision to
hold an annual Adventist Single Adult Ministries Leadership Training Conference.

In March 2004 the first ASAM conference took place in Phoenix. Over 40 leaders from across North
America, along with keynote speakers José Rojas and Oliver, came together to learn how to effec-
tively minister to single adults.

The Adventist Single Adult Ministries team are committed to assisting local leaders in utilizing these
members, as well as ministering to those who don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord.


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