Staff Reports
More than 150 Virginia Protestant pastors have stepped out of the pulpit and onto the ballot battlefield with an open letter urging Virginians to vote NO on Ballot Questions 1 and 2. The letter — coordinated by Pastor Ben Purves of Occoquan Bible Church and posted by the organizing group — lists roughly 157 signers so far, and organizers say names are still being added. These pastors want voters to reject an abortion amendment that would enshrine “reproductive freedom” in the state constitution and a marriage amendment that would remove the constitution’s current definition of marriage.
What the pastors said in plain language
The pastors’ letter doesn’t mince words. It calls abortion “the killing of a pre‑born child in the womb” and argues that the abortion amendment would put a fundamental right to end life into Virginia’s Bill of Rights. On marriage, the letter says marriage is the union of one man and one woman and warns that changing the constitution’s language is a rejection of basic creation truths. The tone is pastoral and urgent: pastors ask their flocks to “seek one another’s true good” by voting NO on both measures.
The amendments and why they matter to voters
Ballot Question 1 would add a broad right to reproductive freedom to the Virginia Bill of Rights, covering decisions on prenatal care, contraception, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care. Question 2 would remove the 2006 constitutional definition of marriage and replace it with language saying two adults may marry regardless of sex or gender. Supporters call these measures protections; opponents warn they will erase commonsense limits, weaken parental and conscience protections, and lock an expansive view of abortion into the constitution.
Clergy unite — and that should get your attention
This protestant push is running alongside a high‑profile Catholic “Vote No” effort from Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, and Bishop Barry C. Knestout, Bishop of Richmond. Together, these clergy networks represent dozens of congregations and tens of thousands of parishioners. That’s not a neighborhood Bible study handing out flyers — it’s organized civic persuasion from religious leaders who are telling their people how to vote. If you care about the social fabric, parental rights, or religious conscience protections, that coordinated voice is worth hearing.
Show up and vote NO
If you agree with the pastors and bishops, the remedy is simple and democratic: vote NO on Questions 1 and 2. The measures are on the November 3, 2026, ballot, and early in‑person voting is already under way in many localities. Churches can preach, pastors can plead, but in the end the ballot box decides. Don’t let constitutional change happen by default — if you value life, marriage as currently defined in the constitution, and parental and conscience protections, make the trip to the polling place and vote NO.
