Policy / Marriage & Family

Marriage & Family Policy

“God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.

“Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.

In this way, the Baptist Faith & Message affirms the biblical teaching of marriage and family as creation ordinances and blessings from God, foundational to human flourishing. We will continue to advocate for policies that maintain and protect these essential aspects of life together. Here are aspects of this policy in 2024. 

Policy Center /

What the ERLC is engaging in 2024

Support Adoption and Foster Care Policies
Support Pro-Family Policy in a Post-Roe World
Support the Adoptee Citizenship Act
Oppose Harmful "Gender Transition” Surgeries and Procedures
Support Protections for Children Online
Support Parental Rights
Ensure Intercountry Adoption Remains a Viable Option
Oppose Taxpayer Funding for “Gender Transition” Surgeries and Procedures
Oppose Marijuana Expansion

How to use this policy center

Use the menu to select an issue from the annual policy agenda that outlines the core public policy priorities for this Commission over the next year. Within each issue, learn more through explainers, ERLC and SBC actions, white papers, and related resources.

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Other policy topics we engage

Our work is rooted in the truths of Scripture and can be categorized in four main areas: life, religious liberty, marriage and family, and human dignity.

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Life

The ERLC promotes a culture of life that sees immeasurable value in every person, from conception to natural death, because all individuals are created in God's image.

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Religious Liberty

Religious liberty is a Baptist principle rooted in the belief that a “free church in a free state” serves our churches, provides for the common good, and allows believers to share the gospel freely.

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Human Dignity

True human dignity, rooted in the imago Dei, motivates the ERLC to stand for the displaced, the trafficked, the preyed upon, and the persecuted—wherever they might be.

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