Marriage amendment backers seek more pastoral support

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JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—With only about six weeks left before the November general election and most people focused on the closely fought presidential contest, leaders of the campaign to pass a state constitutional marriage amendment are concerned that not enough pastors are engaging their congregations on the issue.

Meanwhile, a new poll by Quinnipiac University released Sept. 8 found the measure coming up short of the 60 percent support required to pass constitutional amendments in Florida. The poll of 1,427 Floridians conducted Sept. 2-4 found the marriage amendment is supported 55-41 percent, with a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points.

“Florida Baptists need to step up dramatically,” Clayton Cloer told Florida Baptist Witness on Sept. 10. Cloer, pastor of First Baptist Church of Central Florida in Orlando, is leading an effort to mobilize pastors in support of Amendment 2, the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment.

“The pastors are for it but slow to involve themselves,” Cloer added, noting that he has found it difficult to reach busy pastors, many of whom are not focusing on the issue yet. “I need the pastors to respond and join us at the meetings, the conference calls and order the church action kits.”

Cloer is hosting briefings for pastors about the marriage amendment throughout the state this month. Briefings in Tampa, Jacksonville and Crestview have already occurred, with briefings in Orlando (Sept. 22), Fort Myers (Sept. 23), and Miami (Sept. 29) yet to occur.

At the Jacksonville briefing on Sept. 15, two pastors told the Witness they came to the meeting to better understand what they can do to educate their church members about the marriage amendment.

Mike Kwiatkowski, senior pastor of Celebration Baptist Church in Yulee, said many people fail to vote on constitutional amendments because they are not sure how they should vote.

“I’ve come to make sure that I know exactly how to take the information to our folks so that when this comes up for a vote they’ll know exactly what it is all about and how it backs what the Bible says in how we should vote,” he said.

Bill Yeldell, senior pastor, Mandarin Baptist Church in Jacksonville, said, “This is an important issue for us and for the church and we need to take our stand as Christians to be the savoring influence in our society.”

Cloer said the campaign needs more volunteers and more money. He said his church will be voting soon to contribute to the “Yes on 2” campaign and said other churches should do the same, noting that churches are permitted to be involved and contribute to such efforts, unlike candidates for political office.

John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, also called for churches to contribute to the marriage amendment campaign, saying in a Sept. 11 column in the Witness, “[H]aving been around the blocks like this a few times, I can assure you if the churches of the Florida Baptist State Convention do not ‘step up to the plate’ and allocate some financial assistance, it will not happen.”

Sullivan also said that he will be asking the State Board of Missions to approve the allocation of funds to the campaign at its meeting in late September.

Cloer also urged pastors to observe Marriage Sunday, slated for Oct. 19, and for churches to order Church Action Kits available on the “Yes on 2” Web site (www.yes2marriage.org).

“Southern Baptists are the leaders in the state. We have the strongest churches, the most powerful networks, the broadest influence, and the resolve to help our communities. Now, we must speak up and show up for the future of the children of our state and support Amendment 2 now,” Cloer said.

Involvement by churches will be “absolutely critical to the success of the amendment,” John Stemberger, chairman of “Yes on 2,” told the Witness on Sept. 11. “Literally, one big church or several small churches not participating could make the difference. I think it’s going to be that close of a vote.”

The new poll illustrates “we have to work harder and longer than our opponents,” Stemberger said, adding that historically marriage amendments—27 states have adopted such measures —pass with greater support than public opinion polls taken before the actual votes.

Still, the fact that a super-majority of 60 percent is required to pass constitutional amendments in Florida—unlike any other state—Stemberger said the new poll showing the measure not reaching that threshold should be taken “seriously.”

Stemberger said he believes the anticipated large voter turnout by both political parties for the presidential contest will help the marriage amendment.

Asked about the announcement by Miami Mayor Manny Diaz that he opposes Amendment 2 and that Gov. Charlie Crist recently said although he will vote for the measure he will not actively campaign for it, Stemberger said more than 400 elected officials have endorsed Amendment 2 but such endorsements won’t decide the result.

“The bottom line is this amendment is not about the powerful or politicians,” he said. “It’s about the people of the state of Florida. We don’t need politicians to win this campaign. We need the people of Florida. This amendment is all about the people preventing activist judges from defining marriage in Florida.”

Stemberger decried opponents’ charges that Amendment 2 will result in a denial of domestic partnership benefits, including to senior citizens, as dishonest and a “lower than low” strategy.

“Twenty-seven states have passed marriage amendments. Not a single senior or any person has lost a single benefit,” he said.

Stemberger pointed to the Florida Supreme Court’s affirmation that Amendment 2 satisfied the single subject rule and its decision that the measure “takes the existing statutory scheme and places it into the state constitution.”

The amendment does not address domestic partnerships and “was designed not to affect domestic partnerships,” he added.

Given the requirement of 60 percent approval, Stemberger said if after the election the amendment loses “by a thousand or even a hundred votes we’re all going to be in a great state of mourning and disappointment about our inaction. So, that’s why we’re trying to sound the alarm now and ask as many people as possible to engage in this issue.”