More than a dozen Iowa pastors came together last week to defend traditional marriage after a renegade judge struck down the state's Defense of Marriage Act in August. The case is headed for the Iowa Supreme Court.
Church leaders plan to urge their congregations to talk to lawmakers about amending Iowa's constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, KCCI TV reports.
"God's word is clear to us that marriage is between one man and one woman. Therefore, we are here to stand in unity," said the Rev. Keith Ratliff of Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church in Des Moines.
"It is imperative that we work to pass this marriage amendment so that the voices of a few will not drown out the traditional values of our families, drown out the importance of the institution of marriage," said the Rev. Dan Berry of the evangelical Cornerstone Family Church in Ames.
Nearly all states have defined marriage as being solely between a man and a woman, and 27 states have such wording in their constitutions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Same-sex marriage is legal only in Massachusetts.
