On Thursday, January 23, 2025, the Mayor and Aldermen of Marshfield, Missouri (pop. 7,458) were met with a chamber full of citizens interested in seeing their city pass a Sanctuary City for the Unborn (SCFTU) ordinance. At this meeting a proposed ordinance, written specifically for the City of Marshfield, was presented to the city leadership for their consideration. While this was the first time for the entire city leadership to hear such a presentation, leaders throughout the community have been working on the initiative since March 2021 – when only 23 cities in Texas had passed SCFTU ordinances. Now, a total of 70 cities and 8 counties across seven different states have passed such measures.
Marshfield Residents Speak Out
When he first signed the online petition in March 2021, Pastor Jeff Mann with Crossbridge Baptist Church said of abortion, “It’s murder. We must bring justice and righteousness to the city and stand on what’s right according to God’s Word.” Since then, hundreds from the Marshfield community have signed the online petition, each giving their own reasons for why they do not want abortion in Marshfield. Kristen Lacy shared, “Regardless of the situation, that child is a product of God’s timing.
Just because it’s not the right time for the person doesn’t mean an innocent being should be held accountable.” Tina Pyrtle shared, “If a woman has a choice to abort she has a choice to abstain from having intercourse! It may be a woman’s body but the child she carries is a human being with a soul. It’s murder to kill these innocent children.” James Eldred said abortion is the “murder of an innocent creation.” Eldred continued, “This spilling of innocence, in turn, violates God’s laws for flourishing societies and individuals. We curse both our Creator and ourselves with every case.” Courtney Campbell shared, “Abortion is a form of murder that has dehumanized life and should not be legal anywhere in the US.”
The Results of Amendment 3 in Missouri, Webster County, and Marshfield
The most significant difference between how the effort began in March 2021 and where it stands now in February 2025 is the statewide passage of Amendment 3 – which placed a right to abortion in the Missouri Constitution. On November 5, 2024, a total of 51.6% (1,538,659) of voters in Missouri voted YES on Amendment 3, while 48.4% (1,443,022) voted NO. While abortion was the victor at the state level, it was not the victor at the local level in Marshfield’s Webster County. Only 29.9% (5,888) of voters in Webster County voted YES on Amendment 3, while a supermajority of 70.1% (13,795) voted NO. The results in the City of Marshfield, though narrower than the county, was still a landslide against abortion. While only a total of 34.9% (991) of Marshfield voters cast their vote YES on Amendment 3, 65.1% (1,851) voted NO.
When Pastor Jeff Mann spoke before the city leadership on Thursday, January 23, 2025, he was clear about the voice of Marshfield’s residents. Speaking after the council meeting, Pastor Mann shared, “Marshfield has already weighed in on abortion. They overwhelmingly rejected Amendment 3. This is an opportunity for our city leaders to say: ‘We stand with our citizens, we do not want abortion in our community, and although this ordinance does not reject Amendment 3, this ordinance goes as far as we possibly can to protect our residents – born and unborn – in a Post-Amendment 3 Missouri.’” […]
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