About four hundred churches in almost every state have said they will air the “Battle for Marriage” simulcast, according to one of the program’s scheduled speaker Tony Perkins, president Family Research Council, which is sponsoring the May 23th program along with National Association of Evangelicals.
“I am very encouraged by the numbers of churches and individuals that have signed up for our Battle for Marriage simulcast program airing live this Sunday evening,” said Perkins in his “Washington Update” on May 21.
"Churches in just about every state across the country are signing up, and that shows you that people are wanting to get engaged," said Genevieve Wood, vice president of communication at FRC. "They are wanting to respond to what's happening."
What did happened on May 17 was the state of Massachusetts granted issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
The program will be a 90-minute update will educate people about the consequences of homosexual marriage and provide specific tools for pastors and laypeople to use in the battle to preserve traditional marriage, according to Wood.
In addition to Perkins, other top pro-family Christian voices in the nation will be speaking during the broadcast, including Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Ted Haggard, president of the NAE; Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries; and Bishop Wellington Boone
“Following the speakers we will spend 30 minutes praying for our nation at this critical juncture, asking God to defend His institutions of marriage and family,” said Haggard in a statement.
Many can watch the simulcast or hear the program on American Family Radio, Bott Radio, Focus on the Family Radio and Salem Broadcasting are radio stations, which have agreed to broadcast the program on many of their stations nationwide.
"We are asking our listeners to not only find a place to see it," Dobson said, "but talk to your pastors and get their churches involved if it's technically possible."
Churches with a satellite feed will are expected to pay $75 for the simulcast. The same price applies to subscribers to the Dish Network who also can pick up the feed at home for $75. A link from Church Communication Network, the producer of the simulcast, will allow people to listen over the internet for $6.
"This is an issue that every American needs to be involved in," said Mark Early, a spokesman for Chuck Colson.
“These sacred institutions are the foundational building blocks of our society, and now more than ever, we need to cry out to God for His powerful intervention,” said Haggard.
