Pastoral Petition for H.B. 370

Introduction

History has always borne witness to the fidelity of men of God to the word of God. In 1603, the Millenary Petition was sent to King James I, calling for further reform in the Church of England. The petition was authored by Puritans, and signed by 1,000 ministers. In 1934, 139 delegates representing various churches across Germany signed the Barmen Declaration, a theological confession that was meant to repudiate Nazi oppression, and the encroachment of Nazism in the German Church. 

Today, we have need of such a moment of fidelity. 

In June of 2025, House Bill 370, the Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act, was introduced in the Ohio House. If signed into law, H.B. 370 would abolish abortion, and stop the shedding of innocent blood. 

By signing this petition, pastors in Ohio have an opportunity to give public testimony to the lordship of Christ Jesus, and to the sanctity of the image of God. 

We plan to present this petition to the legislature and to the people of Ohio at the appropriate time.

May history bear witness to the fidelity of Ohio’s shepherds.

Pastoral Petition for H.B. 370

Whereas in the Word of God, the preborn are clearly considered to be human beings (Exodus  21:22–25; Judges 16:17; Psalm 22:10; Job 3:3, 11–16, 31:18; Luke 1:36, 41), 

Whereas in the Word of God, Almighty God forbids the the intentional killing of innocent human life (Exodus 20:13), and ordains government to preserve and protect life (Genesis 9:6, Jeremiah 22:1–3 Romans 13:1–7), 

Whereas in 2023, the Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative established a constitutional right to abortion in Ohio in contradiction to the supreme moral law of God,

Whereas in failing to protect preborn persons, the State of Ohio has abdicated the most basic duty of government, namely, the securing for all persons the inalienable right to life,

Whereas H.B. 370 acknowledges the personhood of the preborn, and upholds the sanctity of innocent human life created in the image of God,

Whereas H.B. 370 would establish justice by granting to preborn persons the same legal protections that born persons have, and thus, abolish abortion entirely in the state of Ohio,

Whereas it is the duty of the Christian to love their neighbor as their very own self (Matt 22:39), to seek justice for the wronged, and intercede for the perishing (Isaiah 1:17, 58:6–7, 10, Proverbs 24:11, James 1:27)

Whereas it is incumbent upon pastors, as undershepherds of Christ’s Church, to lead their flocks in the example of love, and to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom in Christ,
I, the undersigned, wholeheartedly and unequivocally support H.B. 370, the Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act, and urge our esteemed and honorable legislature to give passage to it out of obedience to King Jesus.

Sign the Petition