Iowa Pastors: The Court Does Not Have The Authority To Fundamentally Change Marriage

The Supreme Court has ruled, and the world has changed. Or has it? Can the decrees of man overrule the design of God?

Absolutely not.

The Iowa Supreme Court does not have the authority to fundamentally change marriage. Marriage is today exactly what it was a decade ago. Marriage was created and ordained by God, not a human legislative or judicial body. Marriage is the first among ?natural laws.?

The religious man believes the ?first?cause? of natural law must be the ?Lawgiver.? Others may believe any number of things, but everything about homosexuality conflicts with natural law. There is no amount of anger, no level of vocal indignation that can ever change that fact.

Why? To anyone who reads and believes the Bible, there is no room for compromise on the issue of homosexuality. To those who look to ?natural law,? homosexuality will always be un?natural and un?healthy for a myriad of obvious reasons. Even those who deny God and claim that humanity is the result of evolution understand that homosexuality can never agree with their doctrine of ?survival of the fittest.? It is for these overwhelmingly obvious reasons that nearly 40 states have passed a Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), 30 states passed constitutional amendments, and 70 foreign nations have formally affirmed marriage as between one man and one woman.

The Iowa Supreme Court has now issued their opinion, but it fundamentally changes nothing. Now it is up to the people and their elected officials to correct the Court?s error through the Constitutional Amendment process.

It is at times like this, that pastors must respond to such decisions with Biblically justified civil resistance.

Alexander Hamilton, signer of the American Constitution, best represents our position with regard to the court?s insult: ?The law . . . dictated by God Himself is, of course, superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries, and at
all times. No human laws are of any validity if contrary to this.?

We the undersigned pastors disagree with the Iowa Supreme Court opinion concerning marriage, stand behind the Word of God, and pledge to work together to see marriage protected through a Constitutional Amendment.

Rev. Scott Vandenheuvel
First Presbyterian Church
Creston

Assoc. Pastor Jerry VanHooser
Calvary Baptist Church
Mt. Pleasant

Assoc. Pastor Nick Oliver
Fellowship Baptist Church
Des Moines

Associate Pastor Joshua Krohse
Northbrook Baptist Church
Cedar Rapids

B. Mark Anderson
Church of the Living Water
Muscatine

Barb Blunk
Ankeny

Bill Payne
Christ?s Church
Ottumwa

Bob Burns
Clear Lake Baptist Church
Clear Lake

Bob Deever
Des Moines

Brad Barrett, Pastor
Stonebrook Community Church
Ames

Bruce Branson
Hartly

Cody Crigger
Willow Creek Baptist Church
Des Moines

Dan Berry/ Senior Pastor
Cornerstone Family Church
Des Moines

David L. Brown, Pastor
First Baptist Church of Osceola

Denny Fedosa
Westside Pentecostal
Des Moines

Dr Jackie McCullough
First Baptist Church
Monroe

Dr. Ernest J. Schmidt
Community Baptist Church
Ankeny

Dr. Kurt Trucksess – Sr. Pastor
Faith Evangelical Free Church
Spirit Lake

Duane Bolinger – Pastor
Westside Pentecostal Church
Des Moines

Fr. John McGuirk
Wall Kale

Father Frank Chiodo
Saint Anthony?s Catholic Church
Des Moines

Gary White
Winterset Apostolic Assembly
Winterset

George V. Hatfield
Ames

Greg Jorgensen
Spirit Lake

Jeff Holub
Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church
Des Moines

John Shaull, D. Min.
Director of Missions, Metro Baptist Assn.
Des Moines

Jon Pausley, Youth Pastor
First Baptist Church
Spencer

Ken Clark
Council Bluffs

Kerry Jech, Senior Minister
New Hope Christian Church
Marshalltown

Kevin Miille
Ankeny Apostolic Assembly

Lance Roberts
Westside Pentecostal Church

Pastor Marcus B Moffitt
Sheldon

Mark A. Baker, Senior Pastor
Berean Baptist Church
Davenport

Mark Doland

Matt Reno
Calvary Baptist Church
Mt. Pleasant

Michael Dotson, Senior Pastor
First Assembly of God
Oskaloosa

Michael Mudlaff
Westkirk Presbyterian Church
Des Moines

Mike Blunk
Ankeny

Mrs. Beverly Abbas

Pastor Adam Standley
Hagerman Baptist Chruch
Waterloo

Pastor Andre Norman
Grinnell Christian Church
Grinnell

Pastor Brad Cranston
Heritage Baptist Church
Burlington

Pastor Brad Sherman
Solid Rock Christian Church
Coralville

Pastor Brian Chitwood
Grinnell Christian Church
Grinnell

Pastor Cecil Ballard
Grace Baptist Church
Marion

Pastor Craig H Johnson
Indianola Regular Baptist Church
Indianola

Pastor Curtis DeFord
Grace Baptist Church
Emmetsburg

Pastor Dan Bunge
Emmanuel Baptist Church

Pastor Dan Fields
First Baptist Church
Creston

Pastor Dan L. Merchant
Cedar Street Baptist Church
Tipton

Pastor Dan Toney
Grinnell Christian Church
Grinnell

Pastor Darran Whiting

Pastor Darryl Carr
First Baptist Church
Washington

Pastor Dave Callison
Iowa Regular Baptist Camp
Ventura

Pastor Dave Peters
Hagerman Baptist Chruch
Waterloo

Pastor Dave VanHeuvelen
New Hope Community Chapel
Emmetsburg

Pastor Dennis Reynolds
Nevada Baptist Church
Nevada

Pastor Don Johnston
Calvary Baptist Church
Grinnell

Pastor Donna Smith

Pastor Doug Farrell
Calvary Baptist Church
Forest City

Pastor Douglas M. Daniels

Pastor Elmer Miller
Upper Deer Creek Mennonite Church
Wellman

Pastor Eric Schumacher
Northbrook Baptist Church
Cedar Rapids

Pastor Garry Moore
Burton Ave. Baptist Church
Waterloo

Pastor Gordon Hawkins
Floris Baptist Church
Floris

Pastor J. Chace Gordon
Sioux City

Pastor Jim Sears
Monroe

Pastor Joel Jorgenson
Grandview Baptist Church
Estherville

Pastor John Currier
Allison Bible Church
Allison

Pastor John Epperson
Grinnell Christian Church
Grinnell

Pastor John Scheel
First Baptist Church
Eldora

Pastor John Tank
Des Moines

Pastor Joshua Bowers
Ottumwa First Church of God
Ottumwa

Pastor Larry H. Gordon
Cornerstone World Outreach
Sioux City

Pastor LaVerne Harris
Upper Room Tabernacle Church

Pastor Linda Sears
Monroe

Pastor Mairi Golnick
Faith in Christ Fellowship
Cherokee

Pastor Mark D. Waits
Apostolic Pentecostal Church
Centerville

Pastor Mike Augsburger
West Des Moines

Pastor Mike Martin
First Baptist Church
Cumberland

Pastor Mike Nemmers
First Baptist Church
Grundy Center

Pastor Mike Root
Grace Evangelical Church
Independence

Pastor Monte Knudsen

Pastor Paul Johnson
Stonebrook Community Church
Ames

Pastor Richard Dayton

Pastor Robert Sauser
First Baptist Church
Creston

Pastor Shane VanderHart
Grace Evangelical Free Church
Indianola
Pastor Steven Hill
Bethel Baptist Church
Iowa Falls

Pastor Troy Weigert

Pastor Wayne Hart
Maranatha Baptist Church
Grimes

Pastor/Teacher Chuck Kizer
Ridgecrest Church

Paul R. Martin, Lead Pastor
Berean AG

Randy Fontaine
Christ For the City
Council Bluffs

Rev. Brad Schroeder
Macedonia Assembly of God
Macedonia

Rev. C. Bradley Wallace
Faith Pentecostal Church
Spencer

Rev. Cary K. Gordon
Cornerstone World Outreach
Sioux City

Rev. Chris Strube
Good Samaritan Church
Centerville

Rev. Cory Stout
Community Heights Alliance Church
Newton

Rev. David W Welch
Plano Christian Church
Plano

Rev. Dr. George C. Johnson
Mason City

Rev. James O. McCoy
First Pentecostal Church
Cedar Rapids

Rev. Jeff Maskevich
Ames Community Church

Rev. Keith Ratliff
Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church
Des Moines

Rev. Kevin Albertson
First Baptist Church
Bloomfield

Rev. Mark Jenkins
New Hope Wesleyan Church
Sioux City

Rev. Matthew Novotny
Mt. Ayr Regular Baptist Church
Mt. Ayr

Rev. Michael Hartwig
Grace Church/Marriage Matters
Des Moines

Rev. Morris C. Hurd
West Hill United Methodist Church
Burlington

Rev. Paul B. Johnson
Bethel Baptist Church
Britt

Rev. Randall R. Gearhart, BCC
Burlington

Rev. Randy D. Crane
West Friesland Presbyterian Church
Ackley

Rev. Robert Allan Flint, minister
Missionary Baptist Church
Carlisle

Rev. Ron Abbas

Rev. Stephen May

Rev. Terry Chapman
Moravia Church of the Nazarene
Moravia

Rev. Thomas l. Menuey

Rev. Tommy Rucker, pastor
First Baptist Church
Dunkerton

Rev. W. Michael Shea
Keokuk

Rev. Willliam D King, Pastor
1st Apostolic Church
Indianola

Rev.Terry McClannahan
Chaplain Iowa State Patrol

Reverend Clegguart Mitchell
Bethel Bible Church
Donnellson

Revs. Shawn and Ruthie Oberg
First Assembly of God
Council Bluffs

Rex Deckard
Calvary Apostolic Church
Des Moines

Terrence Palmer
The First Church of Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs

Theresa Durst
New Life United Pentecostal Church
Burlington

Troy Titus, Youth Minister

Van Davis, Pastor
First Baptist Church
Swea City

Wayne Smith, Pastor
New Beginnings Worship Center
Pella

Lloyd Johnston
First Baptist Church
Centerville

Dennis Platt
Cedar Falls Church of Christ
Cedar Falls