I read this statement from the Elders on the upcoming vote on Proposition 3 which would legalize abortion in our state.
On behalf of the Elders, I want to take a few minutes this morning to address what we believe is a very serious topic in our culture. As a church, we have always believed that the Gospel of the Kingdom is our central message, the one and only hope for the world. This Gospel is not partisan, rather, it calls all people to bow their knee to Jesus as King and to submit their lives and beliefs to Christ. But we also know that this Gospel leads us to care about issues of justice and righteousness, to stand with the oppressed, marginalized, and helpless and to stand for the ethics and values of our King. This also means there are times we believe the church must speak with prophetic clarity to issues, against power, and for justice and righteousness. This is one of those times.
Here in our state our citizens are being asked to cast a vote for an Amendment that would enshrine the right to abortion in the Missouri Constitution. The Elders here at Genesis are convictionally pro-life and whole life, because we believe in the value and dignity of every human being as God’s image bearers from womb to tomb, and we also believe that God alone has the right to give and take life. In the past this ethic has led us to speak out against racism, and for immigrants and refugees. This morning we believe we should speak out against Amendment 3 and ask you to prayerfully consider casting your vote against this measure. While we have never shied away from cultural issues that have political implications, this is the first time in our 18 year history where we have actually spoken about a specific ballot measure. Therefore it is not something we have taken lightly. But we do believe abortion is the taking of an innocent life, and this measure would actually open access to abortion in our state all the way to birth for almost any case. Wes Fowler and Brent Leatherwood said it clearly in their opinion piece for the Kansas City Star, “Abortion is a grave evil. It snuffs out a life. It permanently fractures a family. It damages a community. It distorts the futures of a whole state. In other words, the cost of abortion is a culture.”
As I close this statement, I want to speak to a few groups in our church. First, I know some of you are asking why we would do this. We have chosen to stay away from partisan politics to focus on the Gospel. I can say that we desperately desire for Genesis to be a safe place for people from any background and story to explore the Gospel. But we believe the Gospel does speak to us as citizens and calls us to have a prophetic witness. Second, some you may disagree with our stand here. First of all, we love you. It is our prayer that this does not become a barrier to your journey in the Gospel here. Furthermore I would love to have a cup of coffee with you to discuss any concerns you might have. We also know that there are probably people here who have been impacted by abortion. If this is your story, I want to share that Jesus loves you and His death on the cross is sufficient for the forgiveness and restoration for all who believe in Him. And again, I would be honored at the opportunity to sit down with you, pray with you, and help in any way I can. Finally, some of you believe we should be doing more on this issue. We do realize that some churches have put up signs, and are taking other measures to encourage the defeat of this Amendment. Yet, for us, we want to be very careful to keep the Gospel central and remove any barriers to the Gospel for those in our culture. It is my desire, especially as we talk about our public messaging and witness, to make sure that we are known for Jesus, and that we don’t create barriers for people to explore faith here, no matter their religious background, heritage, or political convictions. Again, if you have questions, I am more than happy to sit down and discuss.
Finally, we want to ask you to diligently pray during the next few weeks for this issue and the election as a whole. God bless.