METRO CITY CHURCH'S STATEMENT ON MICHIGAN'S PROPOSAL 3
In just a few short weeks, citizens throughout the country will exercise our nation!s
greatest freedom as we cast our votes in yet another election. As Christians, we
believe that the right to vote is a gift that should be stewarded for the glory of God (1
Corinthians 10:31). We are also aware of the danger of politicizing the church.
Scripture is clear that Jesus did not come to establish an earthly kingdom (John
18:36). There is no precedent of Jesus endorsing a political candidate or party. As a
result, Metro has abstained from such endorsements.
Hyper-partisan politics should not imprison Christ's church. Metro is not beholden to
any one political party. Rather, our full commitment is to the Scriptures, which reveal
the Moral law of God and the fulfillment of the Great Commission. We respect the
need to obey the laws of the lands that we are in (Mark 12:17, John 19:11) where it
does not cause a Christian to personally disobey a moral imperative of Scripture. We
believe that where Scripture is silent, we must remain silent. However, where
Scripture speaks, we must speak. We believe that the church ought to have a voice in
culture. It is this understanding of the public duty of the church that drives our civic
engagement.
History has also proven that, while all elections are important, some are far more
consequential than others. This November is one of those cases for those who call
Michigan home. Among the many items that will appear on our ballot, we will be
called upon to express our convictions concerning the broadest-reaching piece of
proposed legislation our State has seen on the sanctity of human life and the value of
women. Because of the numerous requests from many of you for spiritual guidance
and the ultimate importance of Proposal 3, the Elders of Metro City Church have
deemed it essential to respond. Below you will find our official statement.
Metro City Church highly values the agency of women and seeks to encourage,
empower, and equip them to live abundant lives in Christ. We serve thousands of
women locally and globally through various ministries that center on advocating and
advancing opportunities for them to flourish practically and spiritually. Their voices
inform every aspect of how our church fulfills its mission in the world. We desire for
every woman to receive the best care possible for her body, soul, and spirit. We also
acknowledge that pregnancy is a beautiful blessing full of wonderful joys and
complex challenges for some. These challenges require truly compassionate
healthcare that leads to healing and wholeness. We must avoid false solutions that do
not express concern for both the mother and unborn child or that do not attempt to
address the underlying human challenges and only multiply brokenness and pain.
We also believe that all human life has dignity and is worthy of our full and
unwavering protection. This includes those who are most vulnerable to exploitation
and mistreatment, such as the disabled, the poor, immigrants, orphans, widows, and
children in the womb. The Bible commands us to speak up for the voiceless and to
advocate for their rights (Proverbs 31:8). It is because of these values that, upon
careful review of the exact language and underlying implications of Proposal 3, we
believe it dangerously out of step with the gospel and opposed to the teachings of
Scripture. We acknowledge that the wording of Proposal 3 includes some commonly
agreed-upon aspects of medical services for women, such as prenatal care and
postpartum counseling. When reading the language of this proposal, please be
aware that a person!s support for these basic needs should not blind them to the
underlying lack of morality in this proposal. What is clear is that the proposal intends
to expand abortion in our State. Because abortion is the termination of an innocent
life and has many devastating effects on women's physical, mental, and spiritual
health, we must express a moral disdain for any proposal to spread this harm.
Proposal 3, according to its own words, would seek to amend our State Constitution
permanently by eliminating current legal protections for pre-born children and their
mothers. Also, it would codify the "right” to an abortion on demand without
restrictions on who administers the abortion, the cause of the pregnancy, the source
of funding for the abortion, or the baby!s development stage. This would mean that a
child's life could be ended while in the womb for any reason, using taxpayer dollars
and at any point in the pregnancy, including children partially born during delivery.
We encourage you to personally review the language of Proposal 3 at non-partisan
resources like this link to Ballotpedia:
We believe this is immoral and extraordinarily harmful to women. Scripture is clear
that the Lord hates the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:16,17). Proposal 3
would also do away with state laws regulating quality, safety, and inspections for
abortion clinics and would increase access to extremely dangerous in-home
abortions. Additionally, it would remove the requirement for parental consent for
minors seeking an abortion, sterilization, or gender-transition treatments. Read that
again. A child will be able to determine if they want a gender change or to be
sterilized without a parents involvement or consent. All of these realities are an affront
to God's moral law, and undermines the long-term health of families. In a sense, it can
make your child’s well-being someone else’s decision.
We recognize that this brief statement in no way describes the full extent of the
harmful ramifications of Proposal 3. However, we hope it clarifies our Biblical stance
on the matter. In the words of Augustine, "An Unjust law is no law at all.” We want to
faithfully communicate the grace of God that is available to all who turn to Him for
salvation and healing. If you have had an abortion or have experienced a miscarriage
or complicated pregnancy, we want you to know that we love you, and so does Jesus.
Counseling and pastoral care are available for you at our church. Additionally, we are
partner with ongoing local ministries that serve those who find themselves in a
difficult or unwanted pregnancy. You are not alone. We are here for you.
We will continue to support those in our community with a healthy environment
including providing family and relationship supportive counseling and mentoring,
household support for material resources and food, partnering with parents in caring
for children, discussing the significance of sexual decisions with our youth, and aiding
women in seeking social mobility opportunities. We encourage everyone to spend
time supporting women and families in these ways regardless of the legal landscape.
Finally, as we prepare to vote this November, let us all pray that we would stand
united in affirming the most fundamental of all rights, the right to life!! As Dr. Seuss
wrote, “A person is a person not matter how small.”
On behalf of Metro City Church’s Leadership and Elder Teams...
Sincerely,
Pastor Jeremy Schossau
Note: This letter is adapted from similar statements circulating in the faith community.