The Planned Parenthood Federation of America Clergy Advisory Board (CAB) remembers with thanksgiving the members of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion (CCSA) who struggled for reproductive freedom in an effort to realize the sacred vision of a truly just society.
The CCSA was formed by Rev. Howard Moody of the Judson Memorial Church in New York City in 1967 to find safe abortions for women. On May 22 of that year, 18 ministers and two rabbis joined Rev. Moody to announce the service on the front page of The New York Times. This prompted an influx of phone calls from women seeking medical attention. CCSA leaders took turns referring women to doctors across the country who were skilled and compassionate. The CCSA grew to include more than 2,000 clergy and helped more than 100,000 women obtain safe abortions. The work of the consultation continued after the legalization of abortion in New York State to assist the large number of women who came to New York to obtain legal abortions. In 1970, the CCSA opened the first legal abortion clinic in the United States.
The CAB thanks Rev. Howard Moody for his unwavering support of reproductive health services and his incredible leadership in the struggle to support social justice for all. We also wish to thank and express our gratitude for the work of the consultation’s courageous group of clergy and religious leaders. Their faith inspired them to challenge unjust laws in order to help women confronted with an unintended pregnancy seek safe medical care.
In this spirit, the CAB and our pro-choice colleagues continue to bear witness in support of reproductive justice by upholding the theological and moral basis for a woman’s right to self-determination.
