About Us

In 2017, Tom and Ruth Ann Robinson created Strong Foundations Relationship Mentoring out of a shared passion for supporting couples from before engagement, through marriage’s formative years. 

Tom and Ruth Ann draw on three decades of pre-marital and church ministry experience, pastoral training, and insights from a 38-year marriage of their own to help couples:

  • Communicate effectively.

  • Resolve conflicts compassionately.

  • Share and process grief.

  • Effectively navigate life transitions.

They mentor with a heart for young couples, and they’ve seen the impact that early mentorship can have. Their unique approach combines spiritual formation and marital mentoring best practices to give couples the tools for a strong start. 

Through their ministry, Tom and Ruth Ann have guided couples as they work to end cycles of dysfunction, open lines of communication, and experience real personal change that radiates out to their relationship for years to come. Strong Foundations is about giving couples the tools to build marriages that are deep, caring, and get better with age. 

The goal has never been to have a marriage that is perfect or pretty, but to start one well and lay the foundation for a lifelong marriage that marked by stability, companionship, and joy.

Strong Foundations offers:

  • Pre-marital mentoring, including pre-engagement.

  • One-on-one mentoring.

  • Marriage mentoring.

  • Specialized services for churches (staff and lay people).

Approaches/Certifications

How Strong Foundations Got Started

Strong Foundations was established by Ruth Ann Robinson in 2017 primarily to offer premarital and marriage mentoring to couples in the community. Her husband, Tom, has been a part of this venture from the beginning. October 1, 2021 Tom will be retiring as the Pastor to Marriage and Family from Knox Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After 29 years of service at Knox he will be transitioning to Strong Foundations to join Ruth Ann full time to further expand this ministry to couples as well as churches.

Tom served as Campus Life in Director Youth for Christ for eight years (two of those years being the Area Campus Life Coordinator) and Youth and Family Ministry pastor for 38 years, including 29 years at Knox Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He holds a master’s in pastoral counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary.

Ruth Ann served as a Campus Life Director in Youth for Christ for seven years and partnered with Tom as a volunteer in youth ministry as well as marriage ministry for 38 years. She was also a para-professional for special needs students in a local elementary school. She holds a master’s in pastoral counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary.