Wife of Pastor Affiliated with Billy Graham Steps Down From County Clerk Position After Gay Marriage Ruling

A county clerk in Mississippi recently announced that she will be stepping down from her position following the Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, saying that she has chosen "to obey God rather than man."

Linda Barnette, the county clerk of Grenada County, Mississippi, recently announced her resignation to the Grenada County Board of Advisors.

Barnette is reportedly the wife of a pastor who has traveled the world working with famed evangelical preacher Billy Graham.

"The Supreme Court's decision violates my core values as a Christian," Barnette wrote in her recent resignation letter. "My final authority is the Bible. I cannot in all good conscience issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples under my name because the Bible clearly teaches that homosexuality is contrary to God's plan and purpose for marriage and family."

Similarly, a county clerk in Texas has refused to issue the licenses to same-sex couples based on her religious beliefs.

"It's my religious liberty, my belief in traditional marriage," Katie Lang, the clerk for Hood County, said of her decision to refuse to issue same-sex marriage licenses. "Nobody has tried to get one, nobody has called about them [...] other than reporters."

"Morally, this is wrong," Lang continued, adding: "The truth is, it is in the Bible that marriage is between one man and one woman."

This week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement saying county clerks in the state would be allowed to refuse to issue same-sex marriage licenses based on their religious beliefs.