Last November at the annual meeting of the Florida Baptist State Convention, Florida Baptists enthusiastically endorsed a call for a state constitutional amendment to protect marriage.

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Offered by Lakeland pastor Jay Dennis, the motion said, “I move that in this historical 150th anniversary meeting of the Florida Baptist State Convention, that we lovingly, yet with passion and conviction, lead the way and go on record as supporting a statewide constitutional marriage amendment that defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman and is the God-ordained building block of the family and bedrock of civil society. We are calling upon our legislators and the citizens of the State of Florida to begin the process of such a constitutional amendment.”

After unanimously affirming the motion, Florida Baptists thunderously applauded the announcement that the measure passed.

Three months after unanimously saying “with passion and conviction” that we want a constitutional amendment protecting marriage, the question before Florida Baptists is simple:

What are you willing to do to ensure that the newly introduced Florida Marriage Amendment gets on the 2006 ballot?

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Florida Baptists were catalytic in catapulting this issue to the top tier of issues for pro-family groups in 2005. But, as our pastors remind us, it’s not enough to talk the talk; now we have to walk the walk.

A broad-based coalition of religious and pro-family leaders, including the Florida Baptist Convention, has put many long and difficult hours into the drafting of the Florida Marriage Amendment and has painstakingly addressed tedious details of starting a citizen initiative effort.

It’s no small task – leaders estimate that it will take 800,000 petitions to ensure that they get the 611,000 necessary to put the matter on the 2006 ballot.

Florida Baptists make up about 2,500 congregations across the state – and every single one of them ought to be at the forefront of getting a large percentage of the necessary petitions.

Do the math: if every congregation would produce just 10 petitions, that would amount to more than 25,000; if every congregation would produce just 100 petitions, more than 250,000 signatures would be secured.

Some congregations cannot do 100 – and others can do multiples of 100.

It’s not unreasonable to my mind that Florida Baptists should easily account for a quarter of a million petitions by next February so that Florida voters can have the last word on the proper definition of marriage.

The Florida Baptist Credit Union is the midst of a new advertising campaign – one of the most clever I’ve seen in a long time – “We’re Looking for No Account Baptists,” an advertisement’s headline reads. FBCU is attempting to grow their base of clients by turning Baptists without accounts at the credit union into customers.

In the fight to protect marriage in the Sunshine State, let it not be said that we’re “No Account Baptists.”

When we make a public pronouncement about one of the most important issues of our day, people should be able to go to the bank knowing that we backup our words with action.

Reproduced on this page – and available online at www.floridabaptistwitness.com/marriagepetition.pdf — is the official petition you need to make a difference in this effort.

Note carefully the instructions for participation in the initiative process.

These instructions must be observed strictly to ensure success. Only registered voters may complete a petition.

If you’re not registered to vote – do so immediately and after you have received your voter registration card, then sign your petition.

Churches organizing petition campaigns, should run a voter registration effort concurrently with the petition effort – and then follow-up with those newly registered voters.

No state amendment to protect marriage has ever failed since the effort began several years ago – including 13 out of 13 in 2004.

Florida must join the 17 other states that have enshrined in their constitutions the fundamental truth that marriage is reserved for one man and one woman.

Florida Baptists, what are you going to do to ensure that the Sunshine State does the same?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Florida Baptist Witness is printing the citizens’ petition for the Florida Marriage Amendment as a service to our readers. Please photocopy, distribute widely and return completed petitions to Florida4Marriage.org. Only voters registered in Florida may participate. Petition Signing Instructions: VERY IMPORTANT - MUST READ 1. The form must not be altered in any way. Otherwise it may jeopardize its approved official status. (For those groups needing a personalized return address please contact us to assist you in setting this up and getting it approved.) 2. The entire form should be filled out. 3. Either voters registration number or date of birth is needed, but not both. 4. The form must be signed. (It is recommended that you use blue ink so that the original signature can be identified easily.) 5. Only the original petition form with the actual original signature will be valid. Therefore the original petitions must be mailed in to the return address or hand delivered to the local supervisor of elections office where the county of the signer resides. You must submit your original petition as no copies are valid. The completed signed petition may NOT be copied, faxed, or e-mailed. In order to be valid, we must receive the original petition with your original signature. 6. Only one petition can be signed per person. Persons signing more than one petition are subject to cancellation of the petition and perhaps civil penalties.