At the 220th General Assembly in 2012 we affirmed, no law should impose criminal penalties against any [person] who chooses or physician who performs a medically safe abortion, and no law should sanction any action intended to harm or harass those persons contemplating or deciding to have an abortion., We have long held that God alone is Lord of the conscienceand has endowed all humans with the moral agency to make choices. reproductive justice, Topics: 0 The church has a responsibility to provide public witness and to offer guidance, counsel and support to those who make or interpret laws and public policies about abortion and problem pregnancies. v]E%yo>_sDY~ The earliest appearance of abortion as an issue before the General Assembly occurs in 1869, at the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (Old School) Assembly in New York. the Health, Safety and Benefits Committee twice voted on items that reaffirm the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)s stand on choice and reproductive justice. Sign up for emails so youll be in the know about PWs programs, resources and impact on the world! ECO was formed by pastors and laypeople in response to PCUSA's decision to join the 21st century. Robert Lee Maffett, the Presbyterian chaplain of Philadelphia General Hospital, protested the ongoing terror campaigns against abortion clinics, systematic campaign of anti-abortion terror, Contact Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, Racial Equity & Women's Intercultural Ministries. I do believe it is possible to preach against homosexual activity in a pastorally-sensitive way, but it takes time to develop a message that is balanced and pastoral. They're against gay people being ordained as ministers, and so started their own sub-denomination wherein such a thing would be prohibited. Committee members also overwhelmingly approved HSB-06, On Amending G-2.0284 and Recommendations Regarding a Family Leave Policy, from the Family Leave Policy Task Force. However, I dreaded making the announcements about the discernment meetings as well as giving reports from the meetings to the gathered church in worship. The committee [on problem pregnancies and abortion] agreed that there are no biblical texts that speak expressly to the topic of abortion, but that taken in their totality the Holy Scriptures are filled with messages that advocate respect for the woman and child before and after birth. Pastors have a duty to counsel with and pray for those who face decisions about problem pregnancies. The Rev. On FAQs about the ECO, one will find statements such as "ECO clearly states that all human life is sacred, from conception until natural death," but no formal statement is available on its website, nor does this broad statement suggest how the ECO would deal with rape, incest, and life of the mother situations. When she was strong enough to talk to Chaplain Maffett, she said: Before I have a baby, I would rather have died. But beyond that kind of dissembling, Secret Code Fundy Talk, nary a mention will they find of the true and actual reason ECO exists. As chaplain of the last centralized public health facility in the city, his thoughts conflicted. (4), In life and death, we belong to God. Life is a gift from God. The Report of the Special Committee on Problem Pregnancy addressed a myriad of issues in order to help guide individuals and families who face problem pregnancies and abortion. The abortion question focuses on the personhood of the woman, who in turn considers the potential personhood of the fetus in terms of the multiple dimensions of her own history and the future. The Church itself has played a. PHS accession 92-0206b. (8), Areas of Substantial Agreement on the Issue of Abortion. We anticipate that people are going to become even poorer. The Biden Administration must use its executive authorities to guarantee reproductive freedom. The Lewises who eventually had three biological children were told they had to wait five years to adopt due to a shortage of . Their decision should be limited and restrained by the larger society., In 1966 theUPCUSA organized theTask Force to Study Sexuality and the Human Community, which reported to the 1970 Assembly, reversing the 1962 position: Abortion should be taken out of the realm of the law altogether and be made a matter of the careful ethical decision of a woman, her physician and her pastor or other counselor. The influence of the Confession of 1967 is evident here. Presbyterians have struggled with the issue of abortion for more than 30 years, beginning in 1970 when the General Assembly, the national governing body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), declared that the artificial or induced termination of a pregnancy is a matter of careful ethical decision of the patient . (4), In life and death, we belong to God. Life is a gift from God. The PCUSA has made its rejection of the Word of God . hb```6N>1AO\N The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is the largest Presbyterian denomination. This is an opportunity to do so for all who are once again most marginalized in our community and our country. (6), This General Assembly holds this statement as its position on a Christian response to problems that arise late in pregnancies. PHS RG 519, box 70, folder 11. Dr. Frank Spencer, president of the Board of Pensions, said the Board welcomes the amendment. , On Affirming Reproductive Justice, a commissioners resolution. endstream endobj startxref In cases where problems of life or health of the mother arise in a pregnancy, the church supports efforts to protect the life and health of both the mother and the baby. What is even more notable is that now that we are in a denomination that has taken a more clear and consistent stance on sexuality issues, I havent mentioned homosexuality from the pulpit once. BREAKING: Top Hunter Biden Associate Eric Schwerin (who ran Rosemont Seneca) Just Flipped! We remain a Matthew 25 church led by a savior who said, As you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me.. In regard to problems that arise in late pregnancies, the 217th General Assembly (2006) adopted the following position: We affirm that the lives of viable unborn babies those well-developed enough to survive outside the womb if delivered ought to be preserved and cared for and not aborted. Presbyterian polity is reflected in the way Presbyterians address health issues at every level. . 367-368, 372-374, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly Resolution on Reproductive Health (2012), The Covenant of Life and The Caring Community & Covenant and Creation: Theological Reflections on Contraception and Abortion (1983; biomedical ethics), Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Luke 23:42, 2023 Presbyterian Mission Agency Privacy Policy | PC(USA) Donor Privacy Policy | GDPR Privacy Policy | Legal Notices. I mostly tried to avoid getting defensive and to listen respectfully. Peggy Howland and the Rev. The 1971 report on abortion of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church contains an extended discussion of Exodus 21: 22-25, and the following is a portion of that report: The term yeled in verse 22 never refers elsewhere to a child lacking recognizable human form, or to one incapable of existing outside the womb. Robert Lee Maffett, the Presbyterian chaplain of Philadelphia General Hospital(PGH) in 1968, grew up opposed to abortion. Our Reformed Tradition recognizes that people do not always make moral choices, and forgiveness is central to our faith. Life does not belong to us. %PDF-1.5 % (8). A church "loving people, to love Jesus Christ". (UPDATE: A commenter to this post wrote: "As a PCUSA pastor I can tell you a big reason why ECO was formed was because the pastors in the anti-gay lobby receives very generous pension and medical benefits from the PCUSA that they are afraid to leave behind should they follow their conscience to disaffiliate from the denomination. (3), The church also affirms the value of children and the importance of nurturing, protecting and advocating their well-being. When late-term pregnancies must be terminated, we urge decisions intended to deliver the baby alive. PIP: Abortion was frequently practiced in North America during the period from 1600 to 1900. Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved. Presbyterians have struggled with the issue of abortion for more than 30 years, beginning in 1970 when the General Assembly, the national governing body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), declared that "the artificial or induced termination of a pregnancy is a matter of careful ethical decision of the patient . Many others believe that while abortion is a regrettable reality, it can be a morally acceptable action . We are all carrying some heavy weight today, said Madison McKinney, the ACWCs co-chair. Certain parts of the world are already experiencing serious population imbalances as a result of the systematic abortion of female babies.". For any choice, we are accountable to God; however, even when we err, God offers to forgive us.(2). . Problem pregnancies are the result of, and influenced by, so many complicated and insolvable circumstances that we have neither the wisdom nor the authority to address or decide each situation. We stand with the words of our General Assembly and our fundamental belief in Gods sovereignty. abortion. Reagan-era opposition to abortion rights would first get picked up by the General Assembly in 1986. (6) Minutes of the 217th General Assembly (2006), Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), p. 905 Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Justyou've formed because you believe that gays shouldn't be ordained! The Rev. The overturning of Roe v. Wade will have drastic negative impacts on individuals around the nation, with the greatest burden falling on low-income communities of color. The committee has two items of business scheduled for its final day on Saturday. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion! Microsoft Word - EPCECOPCUSA comparisonchart 6 20 2014.docx Support our siblings affected by disaster, hunger and oppression through One Great Hour of Sharing. 39 0 obj <> endobj 1518 0 obj <>stream Poverty, unjust societal realities, sexism, racism, and inadequate supportive relationships may render a woman virtually powerless to choose freely. It was established in 2012 by former congregations and members of the Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC (USA). The Roman Catholic Church opposes abortion. In the 1990s, amid a systematic campaign of anti-abortion terror that would ultimately include the murders of 11 abortion workers, the bombing of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and more than 7,000 acts of violence including arson, bomb threats, bioweapon threats and assault, Presbyterians modified the expansive support of reproductive justice (8) Minutes of the 204th General Assembly (1992), Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), pp. WASHINGTON Republicans have spent decades attacking the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, but with the toppling of Roe v. Wade seemingly imminent, their . Six out of 10 of all unintended pregnancies end in an induced abortion. Possible justifying circumstances would include medical indications of severe physical or mental deformity, conception as a result of rape or incest, or conditions under which the physical or mental health of either woman or child would be gravely threatened. This action also sought to answer an anti-abortion talking point that the Church's medical coverage paid, as one Presbyterians Pro-Life newsletter put it, 100% of the cost for any abortion at any time, but only 80% of the cost for delivery of a baby. The Relief of Conscience rolls are maintained to this day. Support our siblings affected by disaster, hunger and oppression through One Great Hour of Sharing. For any choice, we are accountable to God; however, even when we err, God offers to forgive us.(2). Yes, folks.thats your Presbyterian Church saying how they are DEEPLY outraged, saddened, and mortified by the Dobbs decision! This is a headline Ive been dreading ever since my church began the discernment process to determine whether we should leave our denomination. The church, therefore, appreciates the challenge each woman and family face when issues of personal well-being arise in the later stages of a pregnancy. Congregations have a duty to pray for and support those who face these choices, to offer support for women and families to help make unwanted pregnancies less likely to occur, and to provide practical support for those facing the birth of a child with medical anomalies, birth after rape or incest, or those who face health, economic, or other stresses. 2014-12-31T21:30:50-05:00 The Christian community must be concerned about and address the circumstances that bring a woman to consider abortion as the best available option. It's hardly a mystery or secret. If I felt some trepidation over the internal communication that was necessitated by the discernment process, you can imagine the anguish that I felt about how the local media was going to communicate our activity to the community. Part of the reason we joined ECO was its clear stance on homosexuality. We are disturbed by abortions that seem to be elected only as a convenience or ease embarrassment. Contention over the PCA's stance against female ordination isn't new.In 2009, the general assembly narrowly voted (446-427) against creating a committee to study women's roles. The Board of Pensions already has certain travel expense reimbursements in place, Spencer said. In a 6 to 3 vote, the Supreme Court overturned the historic Roe v. Wade decision. Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO), and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) (updated 2/2015) . We affirm that abortion should not be used as a method of birth control. Traditional Jewish teachings sanction abortion as a means of safeguarding the life and well-being of a mother. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. So I made up my mind to abort myself, even if it killed me.. hbbd``b`z$g Z@D D@cAK @Bb``Mg8 % ECO honchos! President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday aimed at protecting abortion rights in response to the landmark decision by the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Volunteer with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Volunteer for Elected Service at the General Assembly Level. Pro-abortion groups endlessly insist that there is no religious consensus on . We derive our understanding of human life from Scripture and the Reformed Tradition in light of science, human experience and reason guided by the Holy Spirit. Humans are empowered by the spirit prayerfully to make significant moral choices, including the choice to continue or end a pregnancy. HSB-09, from the Special Committee to Study the Reformed Perspective on Christian Education, is on requiring boundary training for certified Christian educators. Abortion ought to be an option of last resort. I am not ashamed and I don't feel sorry for what I did. Church pastors are our leaders, said Contina Lundy, co-moderator of the Family Leave Policy Task Force, who spoke to the committee by telephone. Because we are made in the image of God, human beings are moral agents, endowed by the Creator with the capacity to make choices. . It respects the diverse viewpoints that Presbyterians hold on the issue of abortion and the question of when human life begins. Reproductive Justice, Copyright 2020 PC(USA). We are deeply outraged, saddened, and mortified by this decision! The considered decision of a woman to terminate a pregnancy can be a morally acceptable, though certainly not the only or required, decision. %%EOF Position on Abortion Counsels that keeping the baby, adoption and abortion are viable choices No formal position. All services and specifications subject to change without notice. sponsoring agencies that offer viable alternatives to abortion. In one pamphlet, the Rev. are teaching those contrary views, then there is an approval of those views, deeming them 'acceptable' even though . (3), The church also affirms the value of children and the importance of nurturing, protecting and advocating their well-being. We wrote this [resolution] two years ago, McKinney said. And that's fair enough. Michelle Bartel of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley was called on to pray. Jewish Reconstructionist Federation. Lewis became strongly pro-life in the late 1960s when he and his wife sought to adopt a child, believing they were unable to have biological children. The latter included an amendment urging to Board of Pensions to continue to develop the policies and practices that will ensure that Plan members be able to access reproductive health care and abortion equitably, no matter the state they live in.. Over the past 20 years as a pastor, Ive cringed every time I had to clarify for the congregation some confusing message about sexuality coming from our denomination that they may have heard or read about in the media. The PCUSA's status as a mainline Protestant church is reflected in their stances on social issues. Abortion is a personal decision that cannot be summed up in soundbites: The Presbyterian General Assembly use this language to express its stance on abortion. Certain religious groups, well-organized and well-funded, are increasing their efforts to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision of the Supreme Court, and to legislate a ban not only on abortion but on contraceptives as well. The Assembly adopted the committee's report, which reaffirmed reproductive choice, deplored harassment of women seeking abortions, protested the ongoing terror campaigns against abortion clinics and urged congregations to start volunteer networks to escort women to abortion clinics. This article contains content that may be distressing to readers including accounts of abortion and violence. One source writes: "God loves each human life from the instant of his or her conception and entrusts this gift to the protection of a mother and father. We believe the artificial or induced termination of a pregnancy is a matter of careful ethical decision of the patient and therefore should not be restricted by law.. No stance taken by a govern-ing body is binding on its members"God alone is Lord of the conscience"but positions are offered for members' instruction and serious consideration. But contrary to what some might think, we dont see this aspect of ECO as freeing us up to take a more aggressive public stance on this issue, but rather just the opposite. That said, though, I'm heartened by the leaders of ECO being so afraid of proclaiming their true nature and purpose. The Church should declare to the world and teach its members that abortion should never be used as a convenience or a means of birth control. As a Presbyterian church, ECO adheres to Reformed theology and Presbyterian polity. This is no less true for those making decisions about whether and when to have children. What does the Bible say about abortion? Assemblies of God, "Sanctity of Human . Lord, so many of us anticipate incredible suffering. K_bD6-0qCBe ydXAo)T287`,B?,E TcT1gh/g>}I3NT^C\dI ,/7+\]`W pWS(i~'daR1 '%|l@D)/=&tVH8Mg ^$1&@miOvH7Nd! UY43y,hC&20J5[oO;&FK:P =;M"1![^SKE~t5?V1_L*e_ ?X>Co3&;t~J!=:+s:2FQ?PLvP)rMU!3~s9K+g0I4mPC[T>QE.@Pw Abortion is not morally acceptable for gender selection only or solely to obtain fetal parts for transplantation. What I did of last resort this [ resolution ] two years ago, McKinney said fetal parts for.... Significant moral choices, and would love to see you add to the discussion PCUSA. 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