WILMINGTON — Today, Dr. Donald Morton, Pastor of Perfected Life Church and well-respected faith leader in the Wilmington community, has added his name to the growing chorus of Delawareans voicing their support for extending the freedom to marry to all loving couples.
In a just released video from Equality Delaware – (http://youtu.be/2AUdq2Q9PnE), Dr. Morton expressed his commitment to ensuring that all families are treated fairly:
“As a pastor, I believe it is my responsibility to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God. As a citizen, I would not want anyone denying my rights based upon their religious beliefs. Therefore, I should not deny others based upon mine,” said Morton. “Civil marriage equality is about allowing all committed couples to get state-issued marriage licenses while at the same time protecting religious freedom.”
Several other faith leaders in Delaware’s African American community have joined with Dr. Morton and issued powerful endorsements of marriage for same-sex couples.
“I fully support civil marriages and will do all in my power to move this state, my family, and the United Methodist church in the direction not just of tolerance, but of full affirmation, acceptance and understanding of this very human condition of loving and caring for each other,” said Rev. Dr. H. Ward Greer, Elder of the United Methodist Church. “What the world needs now is love, there’s just too little of it.”
“My faith calls for me to stand on the side of any population of people who are excluded, oppressed, or maligned, just as racial minorities have been and still are in many respects in the nation,” Rev. Dr. Lawrence Michael Livingston, Sr. Pastor at Mother African Union Church.
These strong statements in support of marriage equality come on the heels of endorsements from the Delaware NAACP and four of the state’s leading labor unions. Just this week, Congressman John Carney and U.S. Senator Tom Carper joined U.S. Senator Chris Coons in voicing their commitment to ensuring that all Delaware families have access to the protection of marriage.
“This committed support from three of Delaware’s respected faith leaders is critical and builds on the momentum we’ve been seeing these past several months,” said Lisa Goodman, President of Equality Delaware. “A majority of Delawarean’s believe that marriage equality should be extended to all committed couples in the state, and support from community leaders like Dr. Morton and his colleagues adds important voices to this effort.”
