He Read the Amendments From the Pulpit

Politics Entered the Church’s Territory

Hamrick knows the objection. Every time a pastor raises these issues, someone says, “Don’t get political.”

His answer is simple: “This is not political; this is biblical.” In his view, the church did not wander into politics. The secular political world stepped into theological territory, and when it does, pastors must speak.

God defined marriage long before any legislature met:

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (ESV)Genesis 2:24

Jesus pointed back to that verse as God’s design from the beginning. God also claimed the child in the womb as His own work:

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” (ESV)Psalm 139:13

When a ballot proposes to rewrite what God has already defined, a pastor who teaches the Scriptures is not joining a campaign. He is standing on ground that was God’s first.

He Read the Words

The Proposed Marriage Amendment

Virginia’s constitutional definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is currently unenforceable because of the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision. According to the state’s official ballot explanation, if that decision were overturned, the prohibition would become enforceable again. The proposed amendment would remove it and establish a constitutional right of two adults to marry regardless of sex, gender, or race.

In other words, the amendment would place that right directly in Virginia’s Constitution, regardless of what happens to Obergefell in the future.

The Proposed Abortion Amendment

The proposal would create a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” including abortion. Any law that burdens that right must pass the highest test in constitutional law: a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means. And the amendment defines that interest narrowly: only “for the limited purpose of maintaining or improving the health of an individual seeking care,” and only when a law “does not infringe on that individual’s autonomous decision making.”

In the third trimester, the Commonwealth could not prohibit an abortion that, “in the professional judgment of a physician,” is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual. Current Virginia law requires the attending physician and two consulting physicians to certify the applicable statutory conditions.

Hamrick argues that the amendment could threaten parental-consent requirements and existing safety regulations. The concern deserves attention. During the legislative process, Sen. Tara Durant proposed language expressly preserving parental consent, and it was rejected. The amendment’s sponsor, Del. Charniele Herring, said there was “no intent to take away parental notification,” but added: “The law is the law until the court says it isn’t.” The result is not a settled outcome, but a serious constitutional question, and one Virginians should weigh before they vote.

When the Pulpit Speaks

Hamrick did not keep this message inside his own church. He traveled Virginia with Pastor Jonathan Falwell and Bishop E.W. Jackson to help churches understand what is on the ballot.

Pastor, notice that. These men got out. They did not wait for someone else to speak first.

But no three men can reach every congregation in Virginia. The rest belongs to the pastor in his own pulpit and the believer in his own pew.

When Christians sit it out, Hamrick says, we cede ground. Scripture does not let us stop at agreement:

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (ESV)James 1:22

Many Virginians support these amendments sincerely, believing they protect equality or women facing hard circumstances. But sincerity does not change what God has defined. As Hamrick puts it: what God defines, we defend.

Help Your Pastor See It

Your pastor carries more than most of us see: hospital visits, funerals, counseling, sermons, budgets. He may not have had time to study these amendments. He may not realize that Virginians are already casting ballots in September.

He would want to know. A good shepherd wants to hear what is happening in his community, and this is one of those things. Often, the congregation is how he hears it.

So tell him, the way you would want to be told: privately, briefly, and with respect. Don’t corner him in the lobby or hand him a stack of articles. Send him the video with a short, personal note, something like this:

Then pray for him, and leave the rest to the Lord. You have not handed him a burden. You have come alongside to help him carry it.

Watch It. Share It. Act.

Do not merely post this video and hope someone notices it. Send it to your pastor. Text it to a Christian friend or a family member. Watch it with the person sitting across the table from you. Important truth travels when one believer deliberately carries it to another.

Pastor, read the proposals and teach the biblical principles they touch. Federal tax law treats a ballot measure as legislation, not a candidate race, and churches may address legislation within limits. Endorsing or opposing candidates is a different matter. If your church has specific questions, consult qualified legal counsel.

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