Faith
Honoring Men and Boys on International Men’s Day
Faith Facts
- International Men’s Day, observed on November 19, celebrates the theme “Celebrating Men and Boys.”
- Founded in 1999 by Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, the event promotes positive male role models, men’s health, and strong families.
- Faith leaders and advocates emphasize building stronger families through honoring masculinity rooted in responsibility and integrity.
Observed in over 80 countries, International Men’s Day is an opportunity to affirm the value men bring to families and society.
The initiative calls believers to uplift men as providers, protectors, and servant leaders, reflecting the biblical design of manhood.
Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, son of a Presbyterian minister, sees the day as a way to
“heal our world”
by giving hope and faith to those in need.
“The concept and themes of International Men’s Day are designed to give hope to the depressed, faith to the lonely, comfort to the broken-hearted, transcend barriers, eliminate stereotypes and create a more caring humanity,” said Teelucksingh.
Key pillars of IMD include honoring male contributions, improving gender relations, and promoting healthy masculinity in the face of negative stereotypes.
Family and faith-centered organizations highlight the need for men who lead courageously, love sacrificially, and strengthen the moral fabric of communities.
Warwick Marsh of Dads4Kids, a Christian outreach, encourages society to celebrate pure masculinity and recognize its role in building just, thriving families and societies.
“Lately, I’ve noticed a growing narrative in society that men are inherently dangerous, and that the solution to ‘toxic masculinity’ is to feminise them. But here’s why this approach isn’t solving the problem — it’s exacerbating it,” Marsh wrote.
“When we strip men of their natural masculinity, their strength, courage, and sense of responsibility, we don’t eliminate toxicity.”
“Instead, we create a void filled with insecurity, passivity, and resentment. Weak men, unsure of their purpose and lacking direction, are far more dangerous than strong men who have been taught to channel their masculinity constructively.”
He believes that
“strong, grounded men”
lead with integrity and protect the vulnerable, embodying courage in the service of faith and family.
Marsh urges all to teach men to be strong, honorable, and purposeful, so that generations may flourish under God’s design for manhood.
Now more than ever, Christians are called to affirm the God-given strengths of men, encourage them to stand for truth, and foster homes where fathers and mothers raise children in love and faith.