A coalition of evangelical leaders assembled by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has released the following:
As evangelical Christians, we dissent from the court’s ruling that redefines marriage. The state did not create the family, and should not try to recreate the family in its own image. We will not capitulate on marriage because biblical authority requires that we cannot. The outcome of the Supreme Court’s ruling to redefine marriage represents what seems like the result of a half-century of witnessing marriage’s decline through divorce, cohabitation, and a worldview of almost limitless sexual freedom. The Supreme Court’s actions pose incalculable risks to an already volatile social fabric by alienating those whose beliefs about marriage are motivated by deep biblical convictions and concern for the common good.
The Bible clearly teaches the enduring truth that marriage consists of one man and one woman. From Genesis to Revelation, the authority of Scripture witnesses to the nature of biblical marriage as uniquely bound to the complementarity of man and woman. This truth is not negotiable. The Lord Jesus himself said that marriage is from the beginning (Matt. 19:4-6), so no human institution has the authority to redefine marriage any more than a human institution has the authority to redefine the gospel, which marriage mysteriously reflects (Eph. 5:32). The Supreme Court’s ruling to redefine marriage demonstrates mistaken judgment by disregarding what history and countless civilizations have passed on to us, but it also represents an aftermath that evangelicals themselves, sadly, are not guiltless in contributing to. Too often, professing evangelicals have failed to model the ideals we so dearly cherish and believe are central to gospel proclamation.
Evangelical churches must be faithful to the biblical witness on marriage regardless of the cultural shift. Evangelical churches in America now find themselves in a new moral landscape that calls us to minister in a context growing more hostile to a biblical sexual ethic. This is not new in the history of the church. From its earliest beginnings, whether on the margins of society or in a place of influence, the church is defined by the gospel. We insist that the gospel brings good news to all people, regardless of whether the culture considers the news good or not.
The gospel must inform our approach to public witness. As evangelicals animated by the good news that God offers reconciliation through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, we commit to:
- Respect and pray for our governing authorities even as we work through the democratic process to rebuild a culture of marriage (Rom. 13:1-7);
- teach the truth about biblical marriage in a way that brings healing to a sexually broken culture;
- affirm the biblical mandate that all persons, including LGBT persons, are created in the image of God and deserve dignity and respect;
- love our neighbors regardless of whatever disagreements arise as a result of conflicting beliefs about marriage;
- live respectfully and civilly alongside those who may disagree with us for the sake of the common good;
- cultivate a common culture of religious liberty that allows the freedom to live and believe differently to prosper.
The redefinition of marriage should not entail the erosion of religious liberty. In the coming years, evangelical institutions could be pressed to sacrifice their sacred beliefs about marriage and sexuality in order to accommodate whatever demands the culture and law require. We do not have the option to meet those demands without violating our consciences and surrendering the gospel. We will not allow the government to coerce or infringe upon the rights of institutions to live by the sacred belief that only men and women can enter into marriage.
The gospel of Jesus Christ determines the shape and tone of our ministry. Christian theology considers its teachings about marriage both timeless and unchanging, and therefore we must stand firm in this belief. Outrage and panic are not the responses of those confident in the promises of a reigning Christ Jesus. While we believe the Supreme Court has erred in its ruling, we pledge to stand steadfastly, faithfully witnessing to the biblical teaching that marriage is the chief cornerstone of society, designed to unite men, women, and children. We promise to proclaim and live this truth at all costs, with convictions that are communicated with kindness and love.
A.B Vines Senior Pastor New Seasons Church
Afshin Ziafat Lead Pastor Providence Church – Frisco, TX.
Alistair Begg Senior Pastor Parkside Church
Andrew T. Walker Director of Policy Studies The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Bart Barber Pastor First Baptist Church of Famersville
Bruce Frank Senior Pastor Biltmore Baptist Church
Bruce Riley Ashford Provost Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Bryan Carter Pastor Concord Church
Bryan Chapell Senior Pastor Grace Presbyterian Church
Bryan Loritts Pastor of Preaching and Mission Trinity Grace Church, Kainos Movement
Bryant Wright Senior Pastor Johnson Ferry Baptist Church
Carmen Fowler LaBerge President Presbyterian Lay Committee
Christine Hoover Author
Christopher Yuan Speaker, Author, Bible Teacher
Clint Pressley Pastor & Former VP of SBC Hickory Grove Baptist Church
Collin Hansen Editorial Director The Gospel Coalition
D.A. Carson Research Professor of NT Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
D.A. Horton
Daniel Darling Vice-President of Communications The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Daniel Patterson Chief of Staff The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Danny Akin President Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
David E. Prince Assistant Professor of Christian Preaching The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
David French National Review
David Jeremiah Senior Pastor Shadow Mountain Community Church
David S. Dockery President Trinity International University/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
David Platt President International Mission Board
David Uth Senior Pastor First Baptist Orlando
Dean Inserra Lead Pastor City Church, Tallahassee
Dennis Rainey President Family Life Today
Eric Teetsel Executive Director Manhattan Declaration
Erwin W. Lutzer Senior Pastor The Moody Church
Fred Luter Pastor Franklin Avenue Baptist Church
Gabriel Salguero President National Latino Evangelical Coalition
H.B. Charles Jr. Pastor-Teacher Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church
Heath Lambert Executive Director Association of Certified Biblical Counselors
Hunter Baker Associate Professor of Political Science; Dean of Instruction Union University
James MacDonald Pastor Harvest Bible Chapel
J.P. Moreland Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Biola University
J.D. Greear Pastor The Summit Church
J.I. Packer Board of Governors’ Professor, Theology Regent College
Jason Allen President Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Jeff Iorg President Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
Jim Daly President Focus on the Family
Jimmy Scroggins Lead Pastor Family Church, West Palm Beach
John Bradosky Presiding Bishop North American Lutheran Church
John Stonestreet Speaker and Fellow The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview
Johnny Hunt Pastor First Baptist Church of Woodstock
Jonathan Leeman Editorial Director 9Marks
Juan R. Sanchez, Jr. Senior Pastor High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, Texas
Justin Taylor
Karen Swallow Prior Fellow, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Convention Fellow Professor of English, Liberty University
Ken Whitten Senior Pastor Idlewild Baptist Church
Kevin DeYoung Senior Pastor University Reformed Church
Kevin Ezell President North American Mission Board
Kevin Smith Teaching Pastor Highview Baptist Church
Mark Dever Senior Pastor Capitol Hill Baptist Church
Marvin Olasky Editor-in-chief WORLD Magazine
Matt Carter Pastor of Preaching and Vision The Austin Stone Community Church
Matt Chandler Senior Pastor The Village Church
Matthew Lee Anderson Lead Writer Mere Orthodoxy
Mike Cosper Pastor of Worship and Arts Sojourn Community Church
Mike Glenn Senior Pastor Brentwood Baptist Church
Naghmeh Abedini
Nancy Leigh DeMoss Revive our Hearts
Nathan Lino Lead Pastor Northeast Houston Baptist Church
Owen Strachan President The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Paul Nyquist President and CEO Moody Bible Institute
Phillip Bethancourt Executive Vice President The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
R. Albert Mohler, Jr. President The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Ramon Osorio Hispanic National Church Mobilizer North American Mission Board
Randy Alcorn Director Eternal Perspectives Ministries
Ray Ortlund Lead Pastor Immanuel Nashville
Richard D. Land President Southern Evangelical Seminary
Richard Mouw Professor of Faith and Public Life Fuller Seminary
Robert Sloan President Houston Baptist University
Roger Spradlin Senior Pastor Valley Baptist Church, Bakersfield, CA
Ron Sider Senior Distinguished Professor of Theology, Holistic Ministry, and Public Policy Palmer Seminary at Eastern University
Ronnie Floyd President, Southern Baptist Convention Senior Pastor, Cross Church
Rosaria Butterfield Author and Speaker
Russell Moore President The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Sam Storms Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision Bridgeway Church
Samuel W. "Dub" Oliver President Union University
Samuel Rodriguez President National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
Thomas White President Cedarville University
Timothy George Dean and Professor of Divinity Beeson Divinity School
Todd Wagner Senior Pastor Watermark Church
Tommy Nelson Sr. Pastor Denton Bible Church
Tony Evans Senior Pastor Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship
Tony Merida Pastor for Preaching Imago Dei Church
Tory Baucum Rector Truro Anglican Church
Trillia Newbell Director of Community Outreach The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Trip Lee Rapper, Author, Pastor
Vance Pitman Senior Pastor Hope Church, Las Vegas, NV
