Local Pastor to Address New Marriage Law

July 14, 2011. A Brockport area pastor will air a response to the recent decision of the New York State Legislature to sanction same-sex marriages. Tony Bartolucci, preaching pastor at the historic Clarkson Community Church, gave the message, "A Biblical Response to the NYS Marriage Law" on June 3 . Originally an hour and ten minutes long, it has been edited to fill the 58 minute time slot the church has each week for their radio program, Grounded in Grace. The message will be broadcast the same day that the legislation goes into effect. "It's ironic that the law goes live on a Sunday, a day that the government offices are normally closed" Bartolucci said. He called the provision that protects clergy who refuse to officiate a same-sex ceremony "a red herring." "Pastors already have the right of conscience to refuse to marry anyone they wish. That's not an issue. The threat to the freedom of churches is hate speech legislation. Groups such as American Vision, Focus on the Family, and the Family Research Council are already listed as 'hate groups' by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Yet, their views on marriage, representative of historic Christian orthodoxy, are held by thousands of churches and millions of Christians across the country."

Grounded in Grace airs each Sunday at 5:00 AM and 8:00 PM on WYSL radio, 1040 AM (92.1 FM). Clarkson Community Church has a website at ClarksonChurch.com.