The National Association of Evangelicals is disappointed with the Obama administration's decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act.

The influential group, which represents 45,000 churches from over 40 different denominations and serves a constituency of millions, is calling on Congress to protect and defend the legislation, which in 1996 passed in both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Clinton.

According to Attorney General Eric Holder's announcement on Wednesday, the Justice Department will not defend new lawsuits involving constitutional challenges to the marriage act.

Anderson is senior pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie and was just recently appointed by President Obama to the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Earlier this year, the NAE filed an amici curiae brief supporting the marriage act after a federal judge ruled that Section 3 of the law is unconstitutional, suggesting that Congress does not have the authority to define what "marriage" means for purposes of federal law.