WASHINGTON (RNS) - A group of 25 pastors has issued an open letter July 20 to black church leaders, calling on them to no longer be silent about the state of African-American families.

The letter cites numerous reasons for declining black families, such as the "failure of black marriages, a lack of sexual fidelity, and a disproportionately high rate of incarceration for black males."

Although the leaders supporting the letter credit the black church for its role in the civil rights movement, they said the church needs to take a stand in helping transform the current challenges in the black community.

The four-page letter, announced at a National Press Club news conference, calls on church leaders to reform their own conduct while teaching others to "live up to the biblical standards of sexual purity" by offering premarital counseling for engaged couples and other resources to help preserve marriages.