Organizers of next month’s “Mayday for Marriage” rally are aiming to gather over a million couples to stand up for traditional marriage in Washington D.C.’s national mall.
The first “Mayday for Marriage” rally drew 20,000 people to Seattle, alerting them on the first day of May that marriage is under attack. The Oct. 15 rally comes at the crucial time of the 2004 elections.
“May Day is a distress signal to send out for help in aviation and in boating and on the water,” explained Dr.Ken Hutcherson, organizer of the Seattle rally, during Dr. James Dobson’s daily radio broadcast on Sept 7.
“We just felt that marriage is under attack. We feel like we have an emergency going on,” continued Hutcherson, former Seattle Seahawk linebacker and now pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Seattle. “The Church is calling a mayday for every available member to come and put a stop on this emergency. The only way we can do it is we need to get together and stand together and get our church members to vote.”
“We will be there October 15,” he said, “to show our politicians ‘don’t mess with God’s people’. We have awakened. We didn’t start this fight but we will finish it.”
Speakers of the event will include prominent Christian leaders Dobson of Focus on the Family, Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention; Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship Ministries; and Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, among others.
Although the rally’s budget was initially estimated at $3-4 million, reported Hutcherson, support from various organizations and people have brought the number down to $2 million.
To pay the rally, the organizers plan to sell red T-shirts, which will give the effect that “the blood of Jesus Christ is covering [the] mall,” according to Hutcherson.
Before concluding the radio broadcast, Hutcherson sent a fair warning to lawmakers.
“We are Christians and we vote. We are dangerous,” he said.
“In November, if you don’t vote correctly, we are going to change your view from your office window.”
The Mayday for Marriage rally will be held from 12 noon to 3 p.m. A day of prayer and fasting in preparation for the rally will be observed on Sept. 15.
Oct .15 Mayday for Marriage Speakers:
Dr. James Dobson - Focus on the Family
Tony Perkins - Family Research Council
Alan Chambers - Exodus International
Ambassador Alan Keyes
Rabbi Daniel Lapin - Towards Tradition
Richard Land - Southern Baptist Convention
Samuel Rodriguez - National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
Anne Graham Lotz - Angel Ministries (Just give me Jesus)
Dennis Rainey - FamilyLife
Dr. Ken Hutcherson - Antioch Bible Church
Chuck Colson - Prison Fellowship
Dr. Stephen Newby - Worship Leader
For more information on the Mayday for Marriage rally, visit www.maydayformarriage.com.
