Clergy Voices: Volume 10, Issue 1

A History Lesson —
The Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion: 1967–1973
By Rev. Tom Davis, Clergy Advisory Board Member

The public and even most clergy in America are probably unaware that once 1,400 ministers and rabbis from across the nation helped women find safe, but not legal, abortions. The Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion was started by Rev. Howard Moody of the Judson Memorial Church in New York City in 1967. Nineteen ministers and two rabbis announced the service on the front page of The New York Times on May 22 of that year. Women from around the country began calling the number listed in the article immediately. Clergy took turns being on call. When clergy met with the women, they gave them the telephone number of a doctor who was proven to be skilled, supportive, and willing to charge a reasonable price for an abortion. By 1970, the clergy network had referred almost 100,000 women to doctors abroad and in the United States. When New York State legalized abortion in April 1970, the clergy realized that the city hospitals were in a state of denial and were not preparing for the hundreds of thousands of women who would be coming to the state beginning July 1, 1970, when the law took effect. So the clergy opened the first legal abortion clinic in America (another important historical fact that most people don’t know). It was called Women’s Services, and was located on the upper east side of Manhattan. This clinic performed thousands of abortions, charged only $200 compared to the standard $600, and continued its work until other clinics could replace it. The service went out of existence with the Roe v.Wade decision. May 22, 2007, marked the 40th anniversary of the Clergy Consultation Service, yet many are surprised to know that reproductive justice for women has been the sacred work of clergy for decades.

Religion, Politics, and Reproductive Justice: An Interfaith Convocation

The always popular Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) Interfaith Prayer Breakfast drew an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 400 people during this year’s Planned Parenthood Annual Conference in Los Angeles, CA.

PPFA President Cecile Richards opened the Planned Parenthood Annual Conference Interfaith Prayer Breakfast by offering a heartfelt thank you to Rev.Tom Davis, Clergy Advisory Board (CAB) founder. The breakfast marked his last day of 13 years of dedicated service as chair of the CAB. Richards thanked Davis for all he has done to protect and defend reproductive rights at the national level and local level, including Family Planning Advocates of New York State, and his local affiliate in upstate New York. Thankfully he is staying on as a board member.The PPFA community is fortunate to know and work with him.

It was a fitting tribute to Davis that the speakers at the event addressed the intersection of religion, politics, and reproductive justice.

Rev. Mark Pawlowski, CEO of Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan (PPSCM) and CAB member, opened the interfaith convocation by commenting on how important is it, in light of today’s culture wars, for clergy to discuss why they feel called to support reproductive justice.

Rev. Peter Laarman, executive director of Progressive Christians Uniting, acknowledged that religious voices have long advocated social justice and played key roles in social change, and reflected on the language progressive people of faith ought to use today when they enter the “not so religiously neutral” public square. His suggestion that it is time to revive language about oppression of the individual conscience and moral discernment resonated with the audience. Laarman said,“Presumably, everyone has an inviolable conscience. It comes to us as standard equipment. Conscience is the inner light that many consider to be a gift from God. The same goes for moral discernment, another good expression and good concept. God gives the gift of discernment equally to women and men.”

Broadening the discussion, Rev. Jill McAllister of the People’s Church in Kalamazoo, MI, and CAB vice-chair, suggested that religion and politics need not be at odds with each other. “‘Good’ religion and ‘good’ politics both search for solutions to human suffering and pain while promoting liberty of conscience,” McAllister said. A healthy democracy is one in which multiple voices and perspectives contribute to public discourse and public policy. The secularist and the religious person both strive to live righteously. Sometimes, the only difference between the two commitments is that the religious person uses faith as an impetus for acting justly.

Each year at the breakfast the CAB honors a member of the clergy who strives to make the world a better place for women, thus representing the dedication of Rev. Tom Davis and his late wife, Rev. Betsy Morgan Davis. This year’s 2007 Davis Award recipient was Rev. Mike Smith, whose contributions to the reproductive rights movement are varied and vast and span 40 years. Smith’s early days of advocacy were dedicated to helping women who needed abortions seek care in states where abortion was already legal. Since that time, Smith has been an advocate for reproductive rights in his denomination through his work with Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options (PARO). During his acceptance speech, Smith encouraged his pro-choice colleagues to stand firm in their support of reproductive justice “amidst all the temptations of the day to compromise, whether in the secular or interfaith arenas.”

Uplifting songs led by Cantor Aviva Rosenbloom of Temple Israel of Hollywood, inspiring readings offered by CAB members Rev. Mark Asman and Rev. Paul Robinson, and a beautiful benediction by CAB member Rabbi Dennis Ross served to strengthen the resolve of everyone in the packed ballroom, both secular and religious, to stand firm in their support of reproductive justice. Bishop Carlton Pearson, a fourth-generation Pentecostal preacher, brought the entire audience to its feet and together in one united voice, leading them in a powerful rendition of “I Believe I Can Fly.” This was a wonderful way to close the breakfast and convocation and send people out into the world to render justice to one’s neighbor.

A Conversation with Cecile Richards

PPFA President Cecile Richards spoke with CAB member Rev. Stephen Mather about the critical role clergy and people of faith play in the reproductive rights movement.

SM: Cecile, in your work as an activist, have you been influenced by people, literature, or ideas that are grounded in a faith perspective?

My earliest experience with activism and faith was growing up in the Unitarian Church in Dallas,Texas — a community that embraced the civil rights movement, farm workers’ organizing efforts, and the struggle for women’s equality.

As a union organizer right out of college, every important campaign for workers’ rights to a living wage included leaders in the faith community — from local Baptist ministers in East Texas, where we organized minimum wage nursing home workers, to Latino clergy in Los Angeles where we organized immigrant janitors for health care and minimum wage.

In the 1990s when the political and social power of the religious right was on the rise, I founded the Texas Freedom Network and the Texas Faith Network to combat the anti-choice policy agenda of the extreme right in Texas. We started small, but today these organizations have a combined membership of more than 26,000 clergy and community leaders across the state. The Texas Faith Network provides a place for clergy and laity to discuss and take action on important issues, including reproductive rights. I had the opportunity to work with fantastic faith leaders from many denominations — the most wonderful, articulate, and thoughtful folks. Some of the best people, such as TFN board member Reverend Larry Bethune of the University Baptist Church, had struggled within their own denominations with the growing political influence of the right.

As we were building these networks, we found that the voice of our clergy and religious laity allowed us to reach a broader audience precisely because these leaders are committed to the politics of community and compassion. They are truly engaged in the “sacred work of justice,” as Rev.Tom Davis, a member and former chair of the PPFA Clergy Advisory Board, would say.

And that’s what I try to do every day at Planned Parenthood, working to protect the reproductive rights of all Americans.

SM: For many, religious faith plays an important role in their decisions about their health, their families, and their future. Should Planned Parenthood frame some of its messages in faith language to demonstrate its interest in religious values?

Absolutely. And that is why I so strongly support the work of the PPFA Clergy Advisory Board and the Pro-Choice Religious Network. Clergy and laity telling their stories demonstrate how their faith compels them to advocate for reproductive health and rights. Planned Parenthood clergy representatives provide an essential voice, which is heard in a unique, important way.

Planned Parenthood’s work as an advocate for social justice will only be strengthened by our understanding of the moral, ethical, and theological foundations for the health services we provide.

SM: What can pro-choice clergy do to help you change the impression that Planned Parenthood is not interested in religious values?

Historically, the clergy were on the front lines of protecting women’s health and rights, certainly prior to the Roe decision. Today, this work is increasingly important — and having outspoken and activist clergy encourages other supporters to speak out as well.

Clergy are some of our best writers, thinkers, and communicators! You can issue public statements, op-eds, and articles affirming a woman’s right to unhindered access to contraception and abortion, and the right of young people to medically accurate and age-appropriate sex education. Speaking before your state legislature, to members of Congress, or at local school board meetings — these are where critical decisions are being made about access to health care.

Speak to Planned Parenthood groups, provide oportunity for young clergy, and always make it clear that your support is a matter of justice, which is a central tenet of faith traditions. And please keep on supporting your local affiliates — help them communicate to their elected officials the theological basis for reproductive health and offer your services as pastoral counselors to staff and patients.

Meet & Mobilize: Clergy Advisory Board Pledges to Be Even More Involved

In the spirit of commitment to reproductive justice, 16 of the PPFA Clergy Advisory Board (CAB) members representing eight religious denominations gathered for their second annual clergy summit in Seattle, WA, on October 17 and 18, 2006. The CAB recounted the advocacy work they conducted on the local level, including the development of a stem cell research advocacy tool kit for clergy, facilitation of a workshop on reproductive rights, securing funds for a conference for youth on sexuality and spirituality, and efforts to stop California’s Proposition 85 and Oregon’s Measure 43, which would have mandated parental notification before a minor could access abortion services. Members also reported on the pastoral support they provide to clinic and administrative staff.

CAB members seized the opportunity to develop new strategies for advocating Planned Parenthood’s work amid the changing political and religious currents. The CAB is prepared to provide to the federation a religious, moral, and ethical perspective on issues related to medically accurate sex education, family planning, reproductive health, and more. Members will accomplish this through the following activities:

• As pastoral care providers, CAB members are well acquainted with the human costs of life-threatening and life-altering medical conditions that stem cell research seeks to cure. Board members wrote a statement for PPFA in support of stem cell research.
  
• Many clergy have strong relationships with the teens in their houses of worship and are well informed when it comes to speaking about the needs of youth. The CAB wrote a statement calling for the removal of restrictions on teen access to emergency contraception (EC) and expressing concern that a pharmacist with a private religious bias against contraception can still refuse to provide EC.
  

• The CAB is eager to build PPFA’s network of support among people of faith. Members will continue to work with the PPFA Office of Special Projects(OSP) to host events for local clergy and “how to organize clergy” sessions at all three Planned Parenthood regional conferences in 2007.

• The faith-based voice of clergy on reproductive rights allows PPFA to reach a wider community. In an effort to ensure that the work that clergy do on behalf of Planned Parenthood continues, each member of the CAB pledged to raise $500 for the clergy program.

The clergy summit proved to be a very productive time. But just as important was the CAB’s enthusiastic renewed commitment to make the case for reproductive justice for all women.

Each year, clergy attend Planned Parenthood regional conferences. This past year, the PPFA Office of Special Projects clergy program staff and CAB members worked with local Planned Parenthood staff to organize meetings and/or events at all three regional conferences:

Planned Parenthood Western Region Conference, Anchorage, AK — CAB members Rev. Tom Davis, Rev. Vincent Lachina, Rev. Paul Robinson, and PPFA Clergy Project Manager Rev. Karen Senecal worked with local clergy in the Anchorage area to assist with an interfaith prayer breakfast and clergy gathering. Local clergy members met with CAB members and PPFA clergy staff to discuss ways to encourage pro-choice colleagues in Alaska to speak out on behalf of reproductive freedom.

Planned Parenthood Eastern Region Conference, Charlotte, NC — CAB members Rabbi Dennis Ross and Rev. Joanne Sizoo, former CAB member Rev. Mark Bigelow, and I hosted a clergy breakfast and met with several affiliate staff persons interested in organizing local clergy.

Planned Parenthood Central Region Conference, Minneapolis, MN — The Central Region had its first-ever interfaith prayer breakfast. Rev. Rebecca Volkel from the Institute for Welcoming Resources was the keynote speaker. The program was organized by a joint committee that included members from local churches and the local Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice affiliate. CAB members Rev. Mark Pawlowski, Rev. Missy Shiverick, and Rev. Penny Willis, as well as former CAB member Rev. Gene Mace, hosted the breakfast and an organizing meeting for clergy in the Minneapolis area.

The regional meetings are a wonderful opportunity for me, the CAB, and clergy project staff to connect with our pro-choice clergy and introduce them to the work of the Pro Choice Religious Network (PCRN).

I will report on the 2007 regional conferences in the next edition of Clergy Voices.

The CAB worked with PPFA Office of Special Projects (OSP) clergy staff to produce statements on the following key issues:

• stem cell research
• federal abortion ban
• birth control access and pricing
• so-called “crisis pregnancy centers”

We hope that these statements will aid you in your advocacy efforts. Here are a few ways the statements can be used:

• Clergy members in your community can use these statements when writing a letter to the editor or op-ed.
• Local clergy people may find these statements helpful as they prepare to speak before your state legislature or to members of Congress.
• Have a group of clergy sign a statement and mail it to elected officials.

If you would like to receive a copy of these statements and/or if your affiliate is facing an issue for which you would like the CAB and clergy staff to help you craft a statement, please e-mail Karen Senecal.

Clergy Advisory Board Welcomes Rev. Dr. Paula J. Gravelle as Chairperson

The new chair of the Clergy Advisory Board is Rev. Dr. Paula J. Gravelle.

Paula was ordained in 1984 (Lutheran) and in the past 23 years she has served two churches, directed the pastoral care department for two hospitals, worked at Family Planning Advocates of New York State as their clergy organizer, and served on the board of directors of Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson. In addition to publishing letters to the editor in various local newspapers, lobbying the legislature in Albany, and encouraging her clergy colleagues to support the work of Planned Parenthood, Paula has also co-authored a curriculum on reproductive decisions for clinical pastoral education titled, “When a Woman Makes a Choice.”

Her current position as Director of Spiritual Care at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, NY, is providing interesting challenges, as they have been mandated by the Berger Commission to merge with a local Roman Catholic hospital. Her presence assures that provisions for the full spectrum of reproductive health care services remains on the table in all discussions between the two hospitals — because there is not a meeting held in which she does not raise the necessity for such services.

The board is fortunate to have Paula in this leadership position.

On December 6, 2006, more than 350 Planned Parenthood health centers in 34 states across the country offered free Emergency Contraception (EC) to every woman who needed it.

Many affiliate experiences were public relations successes. For example, in a letter to the editor by CEO colleague Lori Lamerand of Planned Parenthood Mid-Michigan Alliance, published in the Benton Harbor Herald –Palladium, she stated, “Most of us agree on the importance of teaching people that the only way to absolutely avoid an unintended pregnancy is to not have sexual intercourse. But the reality is that some teens and most adults do have sex and sexually active people must know how to prevent unintended pregnancies and HIV/STDs. Teens and adults need to know how to confidently choose not to have sex, and when sexually active, how to have sex more safely, which includes using condoms, using birth control, and having EC as a backup. The only way to decrease the demand for abortion is to decrease unintended pregnancy, and this should be our shared goal.”

Multiply Lori’s “free publicity” across the country and you have a sense of the astounding success Planned Parenthood experienced with Free EC Day. As for the affiliate I serve, Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan, this is how we did. On Free EC Day, our three sites, which include a recently opened rural clinic projected to see 10 clients per week, gave away 137 packs of Plan B emergency contraception. That’s good news. And even better, 56 of the 137 women to whom we gave free EC are now clients, including all 10 of the women who came to our newly opened rural health center.

Perhaps a pastor hears it during a phone call from a worried teen. Or the conversation begins when a young woman stops by her synagogue, hoping the rabbi is in. Clergy — first responders to life’s upsets — witness the pressing need for unimpaired access to EC. Our ability to refer a woman for EC — immediately — is a critical component of pastoral crisis care.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that women 18 years of age and older may obtain EC from a pharmacist without a doctor’s prescription. It should be noted that the new pharmacy access is “behind the counter” — a woman must ask the pharmacist for EC and present proof of age, even though EC is as safe a medication as anything else stocked on the open pharmacy or convenience store shelves.

It is more than three years since two scientific panels from the FDA endorsed EC as safe, effective, and appropriate for over-the-counter purchase and use by women of all ages. Nevertheless, the FDA bowed to political considerations, all that time ignoring its own medical advisors. The expanded access is a welcome step — but it is not enough.

Teen access to EC continues to be a pressing need. Currently, teens 17 and under can obtain EC only through a doctor’s prescription. This medically unnecessary delay can impair EC’s effectiveness, leading to an increased possibility of unintended teen pregnancy. Many of us have strong and continuing relationships with the teens in our houses of worship. We are especially well informed when it comes to speaking about the needs of our youth. That is why many of us react with dismay over the continuing restrictions on teen access to EC. And we also remain concerned that a pharmacist with a private religious bias against contraception can still legally refuse to provide EC in some states.

San Diego Welcomes Rev. Tom Davis
by Mary Ellen Hamilton, Vice President of Community Affairs
(Retired), Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties

Rev. Tom Davis has basked in the warm sun of San Diego several times in the past year, bringing his inspirational message to the staff of Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties (PPSDRC) and the larger San Diego community. Speaking at the recent PPSDRC annual in service staff meeting, Rev. Davis mixed humor, history, and philosophy in his keynote address to the 500 staff members in attendance.

Many employees were surprised to learn that clergy networks played a critical role in creating abortion referral networks in the 1960s. Rev. Davis discussed the full history of clergy activism for women’s health and the moral foundations of the pro choice movement. Many staff were especially interested in obtaining a copy of Rev. Davis’ book, Sacred Work: Planned Parenthood and Its Clergy Alliances, which provides an even deeper discussion of these issues.

Rev. Davis pointed out that much of our contemporary media coverage portrays the abortion rights debate as a struggle between secular liberals and religious conservatives, but the reality is quite different. Religious conservatives tend to be the most vocal opponents of a woman’s right to choose, but they represent only one slice of a broad spectrum of religious perspectives, and most denominations reject the rigid orthodoxy of anti choice extremism.

Staff also commented on the moral paradox of seeing so many religious conservatives actively opposing legal abortion when previously they were utterly silent during the horrific tragedy of illegal abortion.

Given the media’s continued focus on anti-choice activists as “religious people,” it was comforting and reassuring to many PPSDRC staff to have the opportunity to hear from a speaker who was both a pro-choice activist and a religious leader. In the many stimulating conversations after Rev. Davis’ speech, staff commented on the strong spiritual foundation that sustained so many pro-choice activists during the difficult years before the Roe decision, and the strength faith has provided for many new generations of activists during the 34-year struggle since Roe.

Rev. Tom Davis brought a comforting message of morality, faith, and activism to San Diego’s pro-choice community. Everyone who was fortunate enough to attend these sessions, from every theological perspective, was appreciative and respectful of his solid grasp on the history and the ethics of our movement.