They are individuals and families whose taxes support the Government and whose voluntary gifts support church, charity, culture, art, and education.
Brian Hiortdahl, a pastor on the north side of Chicago, explains that his church's support of gays has already attracted a new generation.
Female priests are barred from advancing to the position of bishop, as a vote on the measure in the church failed to pass lay approval last November despite an overwhelming majority of support within the church hierarchy.
Her membership of a Pentecostal church also brought her support from evangelical Christians.
Earlier this month Mr Ford stepped aside as an elder at Second Donegore Presbyterian Church over his political support for gay marriage.
BBC: Ford compares gay marriage debate to civil rights campaign
More than 80% of the population in the Philippines is Catholic, and the Church has had the support of many politicians, media commentators, and businessmen.
Although both believe that the Bible contains the core of all Christian faith and thought, traditionalists tend to talk about the tradition of the Church of England, tracing its routes back to the early church, while evangelicals support their view with specific passages from the Bible.
Nonetheless, he reaffirmed his support for the Church of England's policy of opposition to same-sex marriage.
But for Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson, support from the church now might be too little, too late.
They all knew about his financial support of the church and the occasions when he had spoken out in its defense.
According to a recent opinion poll, ten times the number of Russians support the Orthodox Church as actually attend its services.
The charity receives support from many church organisations, and the local community.
This means discussions on such subjects as preaching, teaching the faith, care of the poor and sick, and support for the church's clergy and the families that make up their congregations, Dolan said.
Despite the support of the Church and political right, the organisers are keen to stress their movement is non-political and non-religious, and in no way directed against homosexuals, BBC Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield reports.
In its letter, the Presbyterian Church has urged MLAs not to support the motion.
Miss Padaca was able to counter these alliances thanks to her popularity as a crusading radio commentator and support from the Catholic church.
Statements of support for compromise from church and business leaders tended to be equivocal, and were virulently denounced by the entire range of unionist leaders.
Correspondents say the Catholic Church in Austria has been losing support in recent years after its former head was sacked as a result of a scandal involving gay priests in a teaching college.
After Ireland became free from the British in 1922 (when the War of Independence resulted in the declaration of the Irish Free State), the government, with the support of the Catholic Church, passed the Censorship of Film Act.
"It's a moment of crisis for the church so we have to show support of the new pope, " said Veronica Herrera, a real estate agent from Mexico who traveled to Rome for the conclave with her husband and daughter.
Ms. JENNIFER CLARK (Los Angeles): The fact that all the youth come together to pray and to go to mass shows that we're in support of what the church does and that we truly do love the Catholic Church and believe in what the Catholic Church teaches.
When the Adigrat Diocese Development Action (ADDA) project, with support from the Catholic Church, started working in the Irob area in the mid-1970s, it stimulated community action to make larger dams more quickly in order to create more land that could be used in ways determined by the community.
After the Boston Marathon bombing, she encouraged church members to make a sign showing support for the victims.
Family, friends and church members, who have rallied to support Lowe, were sobbing after the verdict was read by Judge Dee David Gay.
There is evidence to support the belief among parents that church schools do a better job.
Eric Woolson, his campaign manager in Iowa, cannot understand why the media harp on about his strong support among those who go to church every week.
Bush said the church program underscores his goal of allowing government support for faith-based initiatives, a measure passed by the House last year, but not by the Senate.
She also pledged her support to ordaining women bishops so the church could "move on".
Apart from the Catholic Church, all other major religions in the Philippines support the RH Bill.
"Our findings really support the 2008 federal physical activity guidelines, and our findings support those guidelines for everybody, " Church says.
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