By Glen Callanan

As Pastor Ron and Wes often address in our weekly message, our responsibilities as members of Grace don’t end when we exit campus. Our duties to make new disciples go past our attendance to service and go into the public square. That is why we need our members to educate themselves on the merits of Amendment 4.As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to be salt and light in our communities (Matthew 5:13-16). This includes praying for our civic leaders, seeking the welfare of our State (Jeremiah 29:7), and exercising the stewardship of citizenship God has given us. At Grace Church St. Louis, we believe faithful Christian living extends to every sphere of life—including how we participate in shaping the laws and foundations of the place God has planted us.

 

On August 4th Missouri voters will decide on Amendment 4—a measure that addresses how we change our state constitution. From a biblical perspective, I believe this amendment offers important safeguards for constitutional, foundational principles, such as safeguarding the common good, the integrity of our processes, and the protection of life and liberty. We at Grace Church St. Louis encourage our church family to prayerfully consider supporting this measure as one way we love our neighbors and steward the freedoms we enjoy.

 

What Amendment 4 Would Do

Amendment 4 is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment with straightforward, commonsense provisions:

  • Broad Consensus for Constitutional Change: Citizen-initiated constitutional amendments would need to win a simple majority both statewide and in each of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. Legislative referrals would still need only a statewide majority.
  • Protect Against Foreign Influence: It constitutionally prohibits foreign nationals and foreign adversaries from contributing to or spending on ballot measures, with penalties for violations.
  • Combat Fraud and Increase Transparency: It strengthens penalties for petition signature fraud, requires public hearings on initiatives before they reach the ballot, and ensures voters receive the full text of petitions.

 

These changes do not eliminate the citizen initiative process—statutory measures and referendums remain available with a simple majority—but they raise the bar for permanently altering our foundational document, the Missouri Constitution.

 

Why This Matters to Christians at Grace Church St. Louis

Scripture teaches that government exists to restrain evil and promote justice (Romans 13:1-7). Our state constitution should reflect enduring principles, not fleeting political fashions or well-funded campaigns. Recent history in Missouri shows the danger of easy constitutional amendments. In 2024, Amendment 3 enshrined expansive abortion access into our constitution, passing largely on urban votes despite strong opposition across much of rural Missouri. Similar measures have added expansive gambling, marijuana legalization, and other policies that many of us at Grace Church St. Louis see as contrary to biblical values on life, family, and moral order.

Requiring geographic consensus protects voices from every corner of our state—including the St. Louis region and surrounding communities where many of our Grace Church families live and serve—from being overridden by concentrated population centers elsewhere. This isn’t “minority rule”; it’s ensuring that changes to our highest state law enjoy broad support across Missouri’s diverse regions. As Proverbs 11:14 reminds us, “in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Broad consensus provides wiser counsel.

 

Foreign money and signature fraud undermine trust in self-government. As Christians at Grace Church St. Louis, we value honesty and integrity (Proverbs 11:1; Ephesians 4:25). Prohibiting foreign adversaries from buying influence and cracking down on forged signatures honor the biblical call to honest scales and truthful testimony. Transparency through hearings and full-text ballots empowers informed voting—consistent with the principle that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

 

A Biblical View of Government and Change

The Bible does not prescribe specific ballot language, but it provides timeless principles. The Lord established Israel with clear boundaries, laws, and processes for change that required broad agreement and oversight. Our republic, while not a theocracy, benefits from similar restraint. Making permanent constitutional changes harder encourages deliberation, prayer, and compromise rather than emotional or money-driven campaigns.

 

At Grace Church St. Louis, we have long championed the sanctity of life (Psalm 139), religious liberty, parental rights, and biblical views of marriage and family. When out-of-state interests or narrow majorities can more easily rewrite the constitution to contradict these convictions, the church’s witness and the flourishing of our communities suffer. Amendment 4 helps restore balance so that representative government and carefully considered citizen input both have their proper place.

 

Critics argue this “silences” voters. Yet the measure preserves the initiative process for statutes (which the legislature can refine) and only raises the threshold for constitutional amendments—the state’s most enduring law. No recent citizen-initiated constitutional amendment would have passed under these rules, precisely because they lacked truly statewide support. That suggests the current system has allowed narrow interests to entrench policies many Missourians oppose.

 

Our Christian Responsibility at Grace Church St. Louis

As the Body of Christ, we should:

     1) Pray — Ask God for wisdom for voters (James 1:5) and protection for our state. Join us in our Sunday prayer gatherings as we lift up this election.

     2) Study — Read the full text and ballot language prayerfully. Resources will be available in the church lobby and on our website.

     3) Engage — Discuss with family, small groups, and neighbors. Share how biblical values of justice, truth, and the common good support stronger protections for Missouri’s future.

     4) Vote — This is a prudent step to guard the integrity of our constitution and prevent further erosion of values many of us hold dear. Voting is not ultimate, but it is one way we love our neighbors and steward the freedoms God has granted. Amendment 4 affirms that changing Missouri’s foundational law should require genuine consensus, not just a slim or localized majority fueled by external money.

 

Looking Forward in Hope

Regardless of the outcome, our hope rests in Christ, not any ballot measure (Psalm 146:3). Yet faithful citizenship can help preserve a society where the Gospel can be proclaimed freely and where policies more closely align with God’s design for human flourishing.

 

And may God bless the Show-Me State and our ministry together here at Grace Church St. Louis.