Executive Council Defends Membership in Abortion Rights Group

Steve Waring
06/14/2007

The chair of Executive Council’s National Concerns Committee has written to the Bishop of Mississippi informing him that while The Episcopal Church does not support every action of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), Executive Council has no intention of withdrawing its membership.

The Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray, III wrote council April 13 noting that at the most recent annual meeting of the Diocese of Mississippi, clergy and lay delegates had approved a resolution objecting to the decision by Executive Council in January 2006 to join RCRC on behalf of The Episcopal Church.

“Its position of advocacy, both in terms of legislative initiatives, and organized opposition to specific Supreme Court nominees, unnecessarily disrupts our Church’s carefully balanced and nuanced position on abortion as articulated by General Convention,” Bishop Gray stated.

John Vanderstar of the Diocese of Washington responded on behalf of Executive Council, noting that The Episcopal Church has “a long history of supporting a woman’s right to make her own decisions regarding a pregnancy” and that previous efforts at General Convention to withdraw The Episcopal Church from the RCRC have been unsuccessful.

“Executive Council has recognized that the Church belongs to many coalitions, such as the National Council of Churches, without participating in and/or agreeing with every action of such coalitions,” he stated. “We are very mindful of limiting our participation to those activities that are considered to be within the policy purview of the Church, as well as seeking to ensure that the language used and explanations of coalition activities in which we do participate are appropriate for the Church.

“In your letter you note that RCRC has actively opposed Supreme Court nominees. That is an activity of which The Episcopal Church has never been a part as we do not take positions on nominees for the Supreme Court,” Mr. Vanderstar stated.

This article comes from The Living Church Foundation
http://www.livingchurch.org/

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