Wardens and Vestry Support and Endorse This Statement

June 29th, 2022

St. Andrew’s through a vote of its wardens and vestry on 6/27/22 unanimously expressed full support of two of the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s statements related to recent Supreme Court decisions.

The first of 6/23/22 (also includes President of the House of Deputies Gay Clark Jennings) relates to NYSRPA v. Bruen: “The Supreme Court’s decision today striking down New York’s regulation of the concealed carry of firearms—at a time when our nation is reeling from gun violence—raises grave concerns. We fear this decision will lead to more firearms on our streets and in our communities. When we signed onto an amicus brief in this case last year, we did so because we feared increased gun violence in churches and other houses of worship—a fear that was realized less than a week ago at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.

“As the conveners of the Bishops United Against Gun Violence network wrote in a statement released today, the ruling “puts people of faith at greater risk when we gather for prayer, worship, fellowship, and service.”

“The Episcopal Church will continue its advocacy for commonsense gun violence prevention laws, and we invite you to learn more about how you can become involved in these efforts.

“Finally, we ask you to pray for all those who have lost a loved one to gun violence—or will lose one today or tomorrow.

The second statement of 6/24/22 is in response to the case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which has overturned the right to abortion that was recognized in the seminal 1973 case Roe v. Wade based on the U.S. Constitution. As a pastor who has served in poor communities, as we do, Bishop Curry writes: “I have witnessed firsthand the negative impact this decision will have.” And he states on behalf of the Episcopal Church: “We as a church have tried carefully to be responsive both to the moral value of women having the right to determine their healthcare choices as well as the moral value of all life. Today’s decision institutionalizes inequality because women with access to resources will be able to exercise their moral judgment in ways that women without the same resources will not.

“This is a pivotal day for our nation, and I acknowledge the pain, fear, and hurt that so many feel right now. As a church, we stand with those who will feel the effects of this decision—and in the weeks, months, and years to come.

“The Episcopal Church maintains that access to equitable health care, including reproductive health care and reproductive procedures, is ‘an integral part of a woman’s struggle to assert her dignity and worth as a human being’ (2018-D032). The church holds that ‘reproductive health procedures should be treated as all other medical procedures, and not singled out or omitted by or because of gender’ (2018-D032). The Episcopal Church sustains its ‘unequivocal opposition to any legislation on the part of the national or state governments which would abridge or deny the right of individuals to reach informed decisions [about the termination of pregnancy] and to act upon them’ (2018-D032). As stated in the 1994 Act of Convention, the church also opposes any ‘executive or judicial action to abridge the right of a woman to reach an informed decision…or that would limit the access of a woman to safe means of acting on her decision’ (1994-A054).

“The court’s decision eliminates federal protections for abortion and leaves the regulation of abortion to the states. The impact will be particularly acute for those who are impoverished or lack consistent access to health care services. As Episcopalians, we pray for those who may be harmed by this decision, especially for women and other people who need these reproductive services. We pray for the poor and vulnerable who may not have other options for access. We urge you to make your voice heard in the way you feel called but always to do so peacefully and with respect and love of neighbor.”