The Marriage Pledge
http://www.firstthings.com/
November 20, 2014
In many jurisdictions, including many of the United States, civil authorities have adopted a definition of marriage that explicitly rejects the age-old requirement of male-female pairing. In a few short years or even months, it is very likely that this new definition will become the law of the land, and in all jurisdictions the rights, privileges, and duties of marriage will be granted to men in partnership with men, and women with women.
As Christian ministers we must bear clear witness. This is a perilous time. Divorce and co-¬habitation have weakened marriage. We have been too complacent in our responses to these trends. Now marriage is being fundamentally redefined, and we are ¬being tested yet again. If we fail to take clear action, we risk falsifying God's Word.
The new definition of marriage no longer coincides with the Christian understanding of marriage between a man and woman. Our biblical faith is committed to upholding, celebrating, and furthering this understanding, which is stated many times within the Scriptures and has been repeatedly restated in our wedding ceremonies, church laws, and doctrinal standards for centuries. To continue with church practices that intertwine government marriage with Christian marriage will implicate the Church in a false definition of marriage.
Therefore, in our roles as Christian ministers, we, the undersigned, commit ourselves to disengaging civil and Christian marriage in the performance of our pastoral duties. We will no longer serve as agents of the state in marriage. We will no longer sign government-provided marriage certificates. We will ask couples to seek civil marriage separately from their church-related vows and blessings. We will preside only at those weddings that seek to establish a Christian marriage in accord with the principles -articulated and lived out from the beginning of the Church's life.
Please join us in this pledge to separate civil marriage from Christian marriage by adding your name.
Drafted by:
The Reverend Ephraim Radner
The Reverend Christopher Seitz
Laymen are welcome to sign to express support for pastors making this pledge. --Ed.
Pledges
Name Religious Title Church
Peter Leithart Presbyterian Church in America
Stephen Lorson Gloria Dei Lutheran
Stanley M. Norcom Elder Community of Christ
Gene Keechi Elder Community of Christ
Thomas C. Seitz, Sr Priest Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida
Eula Miller Church of the Incarnation (Episcopal)
Rafael Vargas Vargas baptized Catholic
Maurice Hagar Anglican
David G Graves Rev. Dr. Trinity Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Kerry Buttram Priest Anglican Diocese of the Carolinas (ACNA)
Richard Jespersen Pastor Grace Lutheran Church (LCMC), Big Sandy, MT
Barbara VanPortfleet Baptized, Confirmed Roman Catholic
Robert Brooke Local Pastor United Methodist Church
Patrick William Malone The Venerable Holy Cross Anglican CANA
Wes Wright Senior Pastor Santa Clara Church
Mr. Dee Singh Cleaner Church of England, Oxfordshire
Ben Forrester Navy Chaplain First Baptist Church of San Diego
Rebecca Boucher Sacred Heart Cathedral
Josiah Roelfsema St. Peter the Apostle (Catholic)
The Rev. Dr. Ashley M. Classen Assisting Priest St. Mary's Anglican (Episcopal) Church
Michael L. McInnis Reverend 360 Life Church
Gil Costello lay person Blessed Sacrament Church (Catholic)
James B Sellers Layman St Denis Catholic Church Hanover NH
Mark Horne The Reverend Missouri Presbytery
Rev. Dougas Hayes Pastor Reformation Covenant Church
Keith Weatherly Reverand, pastor Clark Street Baptist Church
Christopher Wiley Reverend Presbyterian Church of Manchester, Manchester, CT
Rev Alfred J. Poirier Pastor Rocky Mountain Community Church, P.C.A.
John M. Heidengren The Reverend Prince of Peace Church (Anglican) - Aliquippa, PA
Bernard J. Kearney, Jr. Roman Catholic Saint Dominic
Sharon Frigon LifePoint Church
Arnold Burghardt Elder Carmel Presbyterian Church
The Rev'd Terence L. Johnston Priest Episcopal Church
Robert T Simons Ministerial Student TWC
Francis Thomas Lynch Lay Person Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church
Melvin Tai Father (priest in charge) Christ the Redeemer (ANiC)
Andrew L. Powell Priest St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Grand Prairie TX
The Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., SBR, U.E. Vicar The Church of the Atonement (ACNA)
Darlene Morrow baptized Lutheran
Andrew Nussey Reverend
Hugh E. GalvinIII Lay person St. John Baptist RC in North Bennington, Vermont
donald gene hill, sr Ordaned Elder United Methodist Church
David Wayne Layman Layperson Mennonite
The Reverend James C. Paul Rector St. Peter's Anglican Church
Rev Gary Lubenow Pastor, Ret. Baptist Churches, WY, AZ, IL, WA
Robert J. Mayer Rev. Dr. Gordon-Conwell Seminary
Marcel Allen Lamb pastor Imlay City United Methodist Church
Daniel P. Landin Pastor Panama United Methodist Church
Daniel Woodard Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church (Staunton, VA)
Michael Brown Chaplain Chapel Creek Church
Donald Armstrong The Ven Cn St George's Anglican Church
Flora Lee Lay person Christ The Redeemer
Robert Farrow no title Lutheran
Manuel Aguilar Christian Life Point Baptist, Ozark, MO
Nathan M. Roskam Associate Pastor of Young Adults Nampa First Church of the Nazarene
Ralph W. Davis Aspirant to holy orders St. Patrick's Anglican Mission, Charlotte, NC
James Gilmore Christian Southwest Church of Christ
Wayne M. McNamara Priest Christ the King Anglcan Church, Dayton Ohio
Mr. David J. Harvey Christian Discovery Christian Church
Robert Pierce lay person Catholic
The Very Rev. Canon Lawrence H. Hill Dean Holy Trinity Cathedral, ACNA
C. Clark Hubbard The Reverend Doctor St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church
Stanley A/ Burdock Rector Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd, Anglican Diocese of the Southwest, San Angelo, Texas
Steven A Breedlove Bishop Anglican Church in North America, PEARUSA
Michael Hill Pastor North Avenue Presbyterian
David A. Handy Anglican priest Anglican Church in North America
Paul Adams Lay Discovery Church
Dr. Ed Fleming Pastor Oakwood Baptist Church
Nicole John-Thomas Baptised Catholic
Frank Goodman Minister Non Denominational
Timothy P. McCollum St. Brendan the Navigator
Gordon Hansem Rev. Shield Of Faith Ministries
Michael T. Shaw Priest Trinity Anglican Church Metro Orlando
Orlagh Turtle Westminster Chapel.........Reformed reconstruction
The Reverend T. Justin Read-Smith Father Community of Saint Columba (ACNA)
Eric W. Zolner Priest St. George's Anglican Church, Colorado Springs, CO
Fr. Ronald Moore Vicar Living Harvest Catholic Church
Samuel Murrell The Reverend Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches
Rob Dauber Reverand Wakarusa Missionary Church
Carrie Yu Cornerstone Community Church Singapore
Mark Kinnen Church Member Shepherd of the Hills Church, Porter Ranch, CA
Jeffrey R Janisch Lay Person - Parishioner Our Lady of Mt Carmel
Daniel Strand Holy Trinity Church - Chicago, IL
Timothy W. Doubblestein The Rev'd Anglican Church in North America
Kris Ferrario Aspirant Church of the Advent (Episcopal) Boston
Dr. Philip Olsson Lay Person Providence Church (CPC) - Illinois
Sue A. Fugate Lay person - CCD Instructor Sacred Heart Church
Gary Freeburg Pastor Christian National Church
Karen Mills Missionary Calvary Bible Church, Kalamazoo, MI
Harold Wayne Gregory Pastor Peace Church in Christ
Ernie Ellis Church Of God
Kyle Henderson Pastor First Baptist Church Athens Tex
Michael R. Williams The Ven. Cn. Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy; St. George's Anglican Church, Colorado Springs, CO
Rev. Cybil Wright Reverend Christ The Reclaimer
Steve Perisho Layman St. Mary Magdalene, Everett, WA
Jennifer jordan Baptized Member Disciple of Christ
Steven W. Smith leadership staff Crossroads
Patrick Kimball Reverend Universal Life Church
Jome Loto Sangha, Monk Laó Nu
Michael Moorehead Father Anglican Church North America - Missionary Diocese of All Saints
R.Menchen Chaplain Open Door to Christ
Robert Lyons Father The Primitive Catholic Community
Robert Sorge SFO St. Anne Catholic Church, Grants Pass, Oregon
Ken Rosentrater Discipleship and Worship Pastor Chapel By the Sea
Eric Boye Layman, Member City Church of Wilmington, Delaware
Don Peter Church Leader Midway Community Covenant Church
Carolyn Peet Christian Crossroads (Non-denominational)
Stephen M. Hall Reverend Assemblies of God, City Reach Church Network
Jennifer Burnette follower of Jesus Covenant Life Church, Tampa
Robert A. Pineda Pastor Grace Church of Flagler
Kalia German Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Ben Dover Lay Person Catholic
Mark Andrew Hamilton Lay Member Beth Aliya Messianic Synagogue
Barry Vaughn Ordained Baptist Pastor Peach Valley Baptist Church
Elizabeth coco Born again believer Glouster County Comm. Church
James B. Jordan Association of Reformation Churches
Hank Wall Layman Apostles, PEAR USA Columbia SC
Kurt Schanaman Founder Beit Ha'Natzarim, Scottsbluff, Ne.
Guy Bellerby presbyter ANiC
Stephen Douglas Peele Sr. Reverend Church of God
Lorraine Gloede none Lutheran
Roger Anghis Pastor Prevailing Word Ministries
Clifton Snow Parishoner St Georges Anglican Church (CANA) - Colorado Springs, CO
Gerald E Kaiser Layman Assemblies of God
Larry N Clark Pastor Restoration Farm - Stover, MO
Gary W. Coates Laity St. Rose of Lima
Gerry J. Dail, P.E. Layman Church of the Blessed Sacrament
Vitaliy Kravchenko Member of church Light of the Gospel
Fred Caulder Christian Church of Christ
Ryan Streett Priest Anglican Church in North America, PEARUSA
Dave Nichols St. George's Anglican
Laura Miller Riverside United Methodist
The Rev. John Spicer Rector Christ Church Anglican, ACNA, Crawfordville, FL
Denise Landon Baptized International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church
Jon D White Baptized lay person Baptist
Vickie K White Baptized lay person Baptist
Derek LS Jones Bishop of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy, Anglican Church in North America and CANA, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
Brian Kreuziger Layman Divinity-Divine Charity,(WELS) Whitefish Bay, WI
Keith Stampher, M.D. layman St. George's Anglican Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
William Price Elder Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Garrett Lear Patriot Pastor The Well of Living Water Christian Fellowship & Ministries
Brenda Smith member Community United Methodist Church
Phillip Warren Rev. General Association of General Baptist
Kevin N. Webster Pastor / Missionary Murmansk Christian Church
Jeff Geroge Deacon PCA
Milton K. LaDue Southern Baptist Crossroads Baptist Church
The Rev'd. Dr. Paul Edgerton Vicar The Church of the Redeemer (REC/ACNA), Wilson, NC
Amy Ramey Lay Person United Methodist Church
Rev. Tom Armistead Staff Minister, Chief of Security Jubilee Christian Fellowship
Anthony Ganey Pastor Oasis Church of Tallahassee
Robert Rice Deacon The Church At Gardendale (Alabama)
David D. Wilson Rev Canon Anglican Parish of Christ the Redeemer
Jules Casey Parishioner Calvary Chapel
Thomas Benson Minister Christian National Church
Reed Shoaff Vicar St. John Lutheran Church (LCMS) Freedom Township, OH
Edwin L. Parker Roman Catholic
Bob Blumentritt Christian citizen & layman Catholic
James A. Lander Reverend Damascus Community Church, Damascus, Oregon
Michael Paul Tuuri Layman - Preach on a regular basis King's Covenant Church, Arroyo Grande, CA
Robbie Hughes Elder-Pastor Prince of Peace Holiness Church
James Petrell layman American Lutheran Church, Sun City, Arizona
Robert Parkinson Minister of Care Saint Cathering Laboure
Paul O'Connell Believer Catholic
Donald Philip Veitch The Episcopal Church (TEC)
Henry Ayers Layman Church of God
John Stokes LEM Church of the Advent Episcopal, Nashville
J. Vernon Conner Conference Superintendent Evangelical Methodist Church
Ron and Joanne Brunetti Lay Persons Sacred Heart - Roman Catholic, Covington, VA
Rev. Jay Christianson Senior elder, Pastor Issachar Community
Rev. Addison H. Hart Priest (retired) retired
John Lawrence Sharpe Rector Christ Church in the Sandhills (Anglican) Southern
Pines, NC
Richard Bland Layman St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Longmont, Colorado
Brenda Kinnen Church member Shepherd of the Hills; Porter Ranch, Ca
Val Farber Pastor Alturas Baptist Church
Nicholas M. Weil Catholic Church
TJ McCollum Layman Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church
Jonah Bargmann Layman St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Thomas Dolphin Leader of the Band Pinelevel United Methodist Church, Prattville Al.
Michael McMullan Pastor Branches Community Church Reno, Nevada
END