Dr. Nephetina Serrano

Dr. Nephetina Serrano FINALLY, A GOD SENT MINISTRY FOR COUPLES

Game-Changer. Powerhouse. Influencer. Mentor. Counselor. Lover of God and His people. Advocate of Marriage and the Family. These are just some of the many descriptions that could describe this magnanimous woman of God. Today we are excited to introduce to you Dr. Nephetina L. Serrano. She is an American Pentecostal Evangelist, Relationship Expert, Certified Marriage Counselor, International Inspirational Empowerment Speaker, Author, Certified Counselor (NBCA) Mentor and Certified Life Coach.

Dr. Nephetina Serrano, along with her husband of 30 years, Dr. Richard Serrano is co-founder of Covenant Marriages, Covenant Rescue 911 and Covenant Marriages Institute. The Serranos are highly motivated visionaries and are a purpose-driven Christian couple. They actively coach and counsel couples in transitional phases within their marriages and lives. They offer life-changing advice, guidance and tools to deal with the challenges incident to achieving authentic oneness in marriage. They are known as The Marriage CEOs. Dr. Nephetina Serrano and her husband will be starring in a new TV show, “Your Marriage Matters” airing on Dominion Network TV beginning January 2020 every Saturday at 10:30am EST.

This female entrepreneur is co-author of the book, THE MARRIAGE CORPORATION: Corporate Strategies for Fulfilling God’s Purpose in a Covenant Marriage. THE MARRIAGE CORPORATION seeks to give guidance on the establishment of a coherent family structure. It also highlights the organizational needs of a covenant marriage. In addition, Dr. Nephetina is the publisher of Marriage CEO Magazine (Real Couples, Real Issues, Real Talk) which is a publication tailored to meet the relationship needs of married couples, especially those in leadership positions in the community, business and ministry. The publication will focus on the real issues that matter most to couples and their families, while also providing a learning platform for singles preparing to embark on their own marital journeys.

In the WOW Magazine interview with Dr. Serrano, She speaks about how she advises couples concerning marriage and relationships. According to her, love is not a contract, but a covenant that is based on a biblical principle that has its foundation in the Word of God, stating that “marriage is, and should be forever.”

Dr. Nephetina Serrano! We are so blessed to have a powerhouse like you sit down with us and share some gems of knowledge with our readers. So let’s dive right in.

Dr. Serrano: Thank you for having me!

Dr. Serrano, in society’s past, it seemed as though the church played a ma- jor role in the institution and foundation of mar- riage as we know it. How- ever, in today’s society, it seems that marriage and church are two separate institutions that have been deemed unneces- sary and optional in the

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decision-making process. What do you feel is the role, goal and necessity of the church in marriage today?

Dr. Serrano: Great question. It is unfortunate that many churches neglect the need for marriage ministry. Churches have ministries for children, men and women, but there are no marriage ministries to take care of and guide the newly married couple along. Most of the time, the church has only the pastors for marriage counseling. Even so, couples should do their best to survive by holding onto each other and saying “enough is enough”, not allowing defeat to be an option in their marriage. My belief is that pastors, teachers, preachers and leaders in the church should be more transparent with their own struggles and challenges faced in the marriage, thereby being more relatable and setting a realistic example for couples. Not to air dirty laundry, but to be real, human. People are looking for real; this generation is looking for transparency. We, as leaders should share our testimony as God leads, of course, and with wisdom so that others can be blessed.

So, as a marriage CEO relationship expert, what would this counseling look like for a newly mar- ried or engaged couple?

Dr. Serrano: Most of the couples we counsel have been in a marriage for seven years or more. Marriage starts from the moment you say, “I Do”— which at that time goes from a promise to a covenant. Covenant is a game changer and couples must believe they are better together, and declare divorce not an option!

When we counsel couples, we have them go over those vows again because I believe that beforehand they are just repeating what someone is saying without understanding what it fully means. So, it is important for us to go over them, for them to understand its meaning all the more. After that, we talk about the things that should have been considered in premarital counseling like faith, health, finances and sex—which most new couples think is going to sustain them.

It absolutely grieves my heart to consider the rate of divorce in the world, especially within the church today. We did a quantitative study on the rate of divorce two years ago and we actually want to repeat the studies due to the statistic we hear a lot: marriages in the church have a higher divorce rate compared to all marriages worldwide. According to the studies we conducted two years ago, I disagree with the notion, although the rate of divorce in the church has increased in recent times. Divorces are happening because there is no covenant accountability; oftentimes, people go to church out of religious identity, not because of their relationship with the Creator. However, most premarital counseling programs should last from eight to twelve weeks. Most people counsel for just three sessions. This prepares couples to fail in their marriages; three sessions are just introductory and only able to scratch the surface. It doesn’t allow the space to deep dive into the real issues that are going to keep a marriage together during the trials of life.

Moreover, during our counseling sessions, the husband and the wife are counseled separately at first because we need to talk about foundational things such as their upbringing. For example, if there was abuse in the childhood home, if their parents were separated or they were married and unhappy in a previous relationship, this could be the contributing factor of their view of marriage as individuals.

In our research and practice, I also find that people have a misunderstanding of what cove-

nant marriage is all about. And this is where the two become one—which includes mind, body and soul. Many marriages are failing because people are going into marriage with their hurt, pain and disappointment, and are thinking that getting married is going to fix everything. The Covenant concept is a game-changer and couples need to determine they are better together, refusing to allow divorce to be an option.

Wow, these are insightful things. Please share the story of how you and your husband met and how you came about starting this wonderful ministry.

Dr. Serrano: This ministry has turned into our life’s work and devotion. It is a unique and exceptional ministry, unlike traditional ministries. It’s more so comprised of outreach. Most of what we do is outside “the four walls.” My husband and I have been married for over 30 years now; July 1st is our anniversary date. My husband is a Puerto Rican born in the USA. We met when I was a senior in high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I grew up in a household that was privy to domestic violence. It was very challenging living at home. I couldn’t talk about some of the things that were happening behind closed doors. Where no counsel is, the People fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. ~ Proverbs 11:14

I was a little bit sad on the day that I met my husband, and I remember praying because I wasn’t the kind of girl that dated a lot of guys. All I wanted was a friend, so I just started talking to him at a pizza place at which I worked at the time. I share our story in a book compilation of which I am a co-author called Wives on Fire. In my chapter of the book called “No Pain, No Promise”, I talk about how I met my husband and some of the things that we went through. Before meeting him that day, I had gone into the bathroom of the pizza shop and had prayed and prayed to God for a husband, not just a boyfriend. I prayed for a man like my uncle Dalton, my auntie’s husband.

What a beautiful testa- ment to the power of prayer! This testimony is key that God hears us, young or old. How do you continue to minister to and encourage young and older women in their life journeys?

Dr. Serrano: When we lived in Delaware, I started doing sleepovers, and I cooked for children and ladies at my house. That was my way to bring girls together in the community to help them know each other, and for me to also do a little mentorship, encouraging them to support one another. Mentorship is very important to me; one of the central points of my mission from a woman’s standpoint is to encourage, uplift and inspire women to believe in themselves and begin to L.I.V. (Live In Victory) again. They must know, no matter what they have gone through yesterday—the moment we wake up, a new day brings new opportunities to seize and make good use of the time we have.

Appreciating new oppor- tunities is so key in mar- riage and in the pursuit of our individual and collective purposes. Tell me, how did you and your husband discover mar- riage ministry as your collective purpose?

Dr. Serrano: One Sunday morning, my husband sat maybe three rows behind me. I sat at the front with my ministerial team. As we were driving home after service, my husband said: ‘Honey, I’ve got to tell you something.” He said that he started talking to God about himself and everything going on around him.

He said he could not concentrate because his mind was with a couple that he knew was in trouble; my husband told God that he wanted to be with the couple, helping them and

not be where he was. When he said he didn’t want to be there right now, God told him, 911. My husband asked God what it meant, and God gave him the whole Covenant Rescue program. My husband shared with me that the program was going to help couples. He saw us building a 24-hour network of support systems, organizations and churches- all geared to be a resource for marriages in their time of need. Before he left that day, the vision of Covenant Rescue 911 was birthed out of a conversation with God and desire to help couples. We can tell you that that couple is still together and stronger in their relationship today.

What an amazing story! Dr. Serrano, do you have any closing advice for to- day’s couples that need a word of hope and encour- agement?

Dr. Serrano: My advice is that couples should be transparent with each other. That means that even through hardships, tribulations and trials in marriage (because a marriage does have bad and good times), you need to understand that ‘ My advice is that couples should be transparent with each other. there is something greater that can values and qualifications needed for help you get through that process, a healthy marriage. It will help you and that greater thing is Christ. It’s to build a very successful relationhard for people that don’t know ship. The book, The Marriage CorChrist in a personal way to get poration is basically intended to be through marriage. a roadmap to help couples establish Great words of wisdom. How can we follow you structure during their enduring times within the home. and learn more about The Marriage CEOs Drs. Richyour work? ard and Nephetina Serrano have Dr. Serrano: My husband and I are both nationally and internationalcoauthors of the best-selling book, ly as a power couple, being reThe Marriage Corporation. The vered as an example of authentic Marriage Corporation basically true love in marriage by all who gives guidance on the establishment encounter them. of how to have a coherent family structure. It highlights the organiTo learn more about their miniszational needs of covenant martry and work: Visit their website: riage. The objective of the book is covenantmarriagesinc.org The predicated on the fact that a family 24-hour hotline for couples and unit requires administrative strucfamilies in crisis is: (855)737-2911 ture for it to function effectively, x4855. Email: covenantmarriagefficiently and properly the way esinc@gmail.com FACEBOOK: God intended. facebook.com/covenantmarriagWhether you are single, engaged, a antrescue911.com veteran couple, a pastor, a minister, earned a distinguished reputation esinc. HELPLINE: help@covenleader or a layperson, it doesn’t Check out other books by Dr. matter. This is the kind of book Serrano: Ain’t No Plan B, When that will help you tremendously. It’s Doves Cry- Stories that Heal, and going to expound on some useful Wives on Fire