About Us
Purpose
AGAPE Uniting Families for Christ is an interdenominational group from various churches working together to build and enrich marriage and family relationships through the use of the Holy Scriptures. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to demonstrate the union between Christ and His church, and to provide the framework for intimate companionship, the channel for sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.
Agape is God’s supernatural love for us revealed supremely through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. It is love “in spite of” rather than love “because of.” It is the love described in
I Corinthians 13. We live by faith just as we received Jesus Christ by faith.
Beliefs
THE AUFFC FAMILY -AUFFC BELIEFS
AGAPE Uniting Families For Christ believes in the verbal inspiration of both Old and New Testaments, in the Trinity of God, in the Deity of Christ, virgin birth of Christ begotten by the Holy Spirit, in man’s lost condition in sin as a result of the fall of Adam, in Jesus Christ’s substitutionary atonement through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection and ascension, His present intercessory work, in the new birth through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the bodily resurrection, the reality of heaven and hell, and in the ordinances of the Church, water baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
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History
HISTORY OF AGAPE UNITING FAMILIES FOR CHRIST
The idea of starting a marriage ministry was inspired in 1981 when a student in Bernice Toles’ Sunday school class approached her with a marital concern. The lesson that day was taken from Matthew 19, a passage which focused on marriage and divorce. A few months later, Mrs. Toles shared a testimony in church on how God’s Word and prayer had improved her marriage. The response to her testimony from other women was so great that she felt the need to do something to help marriages. After seeking God’s direction, she received an answer. She shared the idea with her late husband, Chester, who liked the idea and gave his full support. Mrs. Toles was led by the Spirit to contact eight couples from different churches and denominations in Detroit. Those couples were John and Jeanette Sharpe, Herbert and Lillian Gray, Rev. Robert and Audrey Royal, Rev. Leroy and Shirley Clowney, Deacon Joseph and Gloria Harper, Deacon Jerome Williams, Alfred and Mary Young, and Rev. James Hogan. Mr. Sharpe felt strongly that the ministry should be called AGAPE (God’s unconditional love). The group agreed and added Uniting Families for Christ (AUFFC). Thus, Agape Uniting Families for Christ was founded and organized on November 22, 1981 in the Toles’ home. Mr. Sharpe served as president for two years before being called into the ministry. Rev. and Mrs. Clowney (* Deceased), Rev. Hogan, Deacon Williams and Mr. and Mrs. Young could not remain with the group for various reasons. In January 1982, Mrs. Clowney suggested William and Sharon Maxwell as music leaders. They accepted the position and served faithfully for 15 years until the death of Mr. Maxwell in 1997. Mrs. Maxwell passed away in February 2006.The board of AUFFC gives thanks and praise to God for each person who was instrumental in the creation of the ministry. We feel that it was God’s will. Three other couples have been added to the AUFFC Executive board since its inception: Nate and Jackie Shepard in 1984; Connie and Margie Williams in 1997; and Rev. James and Stella Calloway in 2004, Marvin and Martha Moore 2012. Gary and Cassandra Hankins in 2015.In 2016 two new board families were asked to join; Justin and Maggie Price and Kiel and Nadeen Brown. Raphael and Cecilia Davis in 2018.
