Growing Opposition to the RCRC.

From the Living Church:

Growing Opposition to Affiliation with Abortion Rights Group 2/24/2006
The 75th General Convention will be asked for an up-or-down vote on the recent decision by the Executive Council to approve membership for the Episcopal Church in an abortion rights organization. On Feb. 11, clergy and lay delegates to convention in the Diocese of San Diego asked General Convention, which meets June 13-21 in Columbus, Ohio, “to confirm or deny” the Executive Council decision to join the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) on behalf of the Episcopal Church. That decision was made during a regularly scheduled Jan. 9-12 meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. Although the resolution approved by delegates in San Diego took no position on abortion itself, debate on whether to disassociate from the Executive Council decision is under consideration in at least two other dioceses.

The Rev. Patrick Allen, rector of St. Joseph’s, Hendersonville, Tenn., told the annual convention in the Diocese of Tennessee that he was “profoundly troubled” to learn he was supporting an organization “which promotes an act we believe to be gravely contrary to Christian morality.” Speaking on a point of personal privilege, Fr. Allen said the Executive Council decision to join on behalf of the Episcopal Church served to “preempt dialogue, further dividing an already polarized Church by taking away one more plot of middle ground upon which we could meet and seek in charity to persuade one another.” With the deadline for filing diocesan convention resolutions already expired by the time he addressed council, Fr. Allen asked the standing committee and the bishop and council of the diocese to “give prayerful consideration to disassociating the Diocese of Tennessee from this unwise and unwarranted action.”

Disassociation from membership in the RCRC has already occurred in the Diocese of Springfield. On Feb. 11, the diocesan council approved a resolution “on its own behalf and on behalf of the Diocese of Springfield” to disassociate from membership in the RCRC. Under the canons of the Diocese of Springfield, the council is authorized to act on behalf of the diocese when the diocesan synod is not in session. The Diocese of Springfield held its annual synod Oct. 28-29.

(My full convention statement is here. - PSA+)