AS APPEARED IN THE TRI-STATE VOICE WEBSITE

Churches Make a Bold Statement at Marriage Renewal Day Rally

By Tom Campisi

In their song, “Beloved,” Sam Cintron and Hope Center Tabernacle exhort believers to wake up and prepare the way of the Lord in a society that has lost its way:

Beloved, open your eyes now. And look at what is going on around you. What used to be wrong, now is right. What used to be the truth, now is a lie.

So it was fitting that Cintron and Hope Center Tabernacle (Jersey City) led worship at the Traditional Marriage Renewal Day Rally July 25 at City Hall in Manhattan, where approximately 3,000 people from Metro New York came together to renew wedding vows and stand united in support of marriage between one man and one woman.

“We are here because the institution of marriage is under attack in contemporary society,” said Joe Mattera, Pastor of Resurrection Church in Brooklyn and Executive Director of City Covenant Coalition. “The concept of same-sex marriage is at war with family values. There can be no reconciliation.

“It is time for the Church to come out of the prayer closet and to speak to this culture. Jesus called us to be salt and light. Many are used to the church staying silent in matters of politics and culture, but we are calling the church to stand up for mainstream America.”

City Covenant Coalition sponsored the event along with The Church of God in Christ, Concerts of Prayer Greater New York, CONLICO (an association of Hispanic churches),  New Jersey Faith Alliance, and WWDJ, WMCA, and Radivision Christiana. The diverse multi-racial, multi-denominational group also included some local rabbis, who stood united with the pastors at a press conference on the steps of City Hall earlier in the afternoon.

“We are highly offended that such a holy institution should be secularized for political and ideological gain!” said Rev. Mattera. “Marriage is primarily a religious issue and should not be redefined from a radically political, judicial, or social perspective. Upholding this position is a crucial quality of life issue that will affect future generations.

“We do not accept or affirm the recent same-sex marriages in Massachusetts, nor will we ever recognize same-sex marriages or perform the same in our churches.”

Rev. Mattera said a breakdown of heterosexual marriage in society and in the Church was partly responsible for the recent advancement of same-sex marriage.

“We are here to repent for marital infidelity and renew our commitment to this sacred institution,” he said. “We shouldn't give up on marriage. It's the only answer for a stable society. Rather than redefining marriage or watering down the same with domestic partnerships, our society needs to do all it can to strengthen the institution of marriage because it is one of the building blocks of civilization.”

He called on pastors to be more diligent in pre-marriage counseling and do all they can to raise the standard. Pastor Robert Johansson of Evangel Church in Long Island City delivered a message to the clergy as they renewed their vows:

“Marriages are filled with fire when they begin. But fires tend to go out and then all you have left is a pile of ashes. You have to find a way to fuel that fire. That happens when you understand that marriage is a covenant, not made by the government or by officials. It's God's plan to have two people become one and, in the process, He is glorified—the  Apostle Paul said that people should be able to look at your marriage and understand God's love.”    

Rev. Johansson charged the pastors to set a good example with their marriage and lead the people “in purity, in holiness, and in righteousness.”

“Today, there is a crisis in many churches because there is a crisis in the pulpit,” he said.

In addition to calling on clergy to do their part, the rally also sent a clear message to politicians in New York and New Jersey, many who are undecided or against the Federal Defense of Marriage Act. Rev. Mattera noted that New York Attorney General Elliott Spitzer is probably leaning towards recognizing same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts. He also criticized the New York City Council for the passage of the Domestic Partner “Equal Benefits Bill.” In New Jersey, same-sex couples now have special rights because of the state's Domestic Partnership Law.

“We are here to call public officials to account for their actions regarding the legalization of same-sex marriages and to send them this caveat: we are a large voting block who will remember where they stand on this issue,” said Rev. Mattera. “As one body we will vote for those who have sworn to uphold the sacred covenant of marriage. If you do not represent our values, you will not get our vote.

“Poll after poll shows that Americans do not favor gay marriage. It's time that our politicians start to represent mainstream America.”

State Senator Ruben Diaz, a pastor at the Christian Community Neighborhood Church in the Bronx, called himself the Democratic Party's lone voice in the wilderness when it came to the issue of same-sex marriage.

“I believe in marriage the way God created it,” he said.

City Covenant Coalition will soon announce the formation of a new political organization led by key bishops, pastors, and marketplace leaders.

“It is time that, as a society, we turn back to the moral compass on which we were founded,” said Rev. Mattera.