The Iowa House and Senate open each day with a prayer — and the preacher who led today’s prayer urged lawmakers to pass an amendment to the state constitution that would ban gay marriage in Iowa. Reverend Spencer Kcroff, pastor of the Assembly of God Church in Centerville, prayed that God would “touch” Senators and Representatives spiritually and “give them wisdom.”
“I also pray, Lord, for the Iowa Marriage Amendment that is being held right now in committee,” Kcroff said. “I just pray that, Lord, that your will would be done that…we would, as a state, define marriage as you would define marriage.”
Aftewards, Kcroff cited biblical passages as the basis for his argument. Kcroff says passages in the books of Genesis and Matthew define marriage as between a man and a woman. “It’s a vital issue for our state,” Kcroff says.
Kcroff was the guest of two lawmakers from Bloomfield — Representative Kurt Swaim and Senator Keith Kreiman. “I was surprised when he brought it up, but that’s okay,” Kreiman says. “It’s a deeply felt conviction.”
Kreiman supports the constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. Swaim does, too. This past Valentine’s Day, the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa held a news conference at the statehouse to speak in favor of gay marriage. Reverend Mark Stringer, president of the Interfaith Alliance for Iowa and pastor at the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, said same-sex couples want to marry and “commit monogamy” — and are not a threat to society.