MOLINE -
There are big changes likely with Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's upcoming retirement.
The announcement is sparking new concerns about same sex marriage.
All are welcome at Calvary Church of the Quad Cities, but the congregation does not perform same sex marriages.
"We believe that marriage is a covenant between God and one man and one woman," said Senior Pastor Tim Bowman, on Thursday, June 28.
Nearly three years to the day after Justice Kennedy wrote the majority opinion legalizing same sex marriage, he announced that he's stepping down from the Supreme Court.
Now, there are worries about a reversal.
"It's ebbed and flowed from despair to resistance," said Rev. Jay Wolin, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities.
Davenport's Unitarian Church performs about a half-dozen same sex marriages each year.
The congregation is discouraged about a setback but encouraged about their power at the polls.
"We're going to have to be more vigilant in regard to elections as far as getting people who support our values elected," Rev. Wolin continued.
While both churches represent diverse views on same sex marriage, President Donald Trump holds all the cards when it comes to replacing Justice Kennedy.
Despite local rallies and activities, Democrats have essentially no power in the appointment process.
Rev. Wolin is critical of Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R) Iowa, for stalling an Obama nominee while promising to rush Trump's choice.
"It is my hope that other senators will stand up to this hypocrisy and not allow it," he said.
Pastor Tim Bowman understands the quandry between politics and pulpit.
He says that you can't legislate morality.
"We're not going to change the White House or our state capitals until we change our house," he concluded.
In an era of political and religious change, they're both bracing for more.