Press Release From LOPPW and Wisconsin ELCA Bishops on the Supreme Court Leak on Abortion
On June 2nd, a Press Release was shared from the Lutheran Office of Public Policy in Wisconsin. The statement was co-written by Lutheran Office of Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) and the ELCA bishops in Wisconsin. This release, ELCA Bishops and Lutheran Public Policy Office Respond to Supreme Court Leak on Abortion, advocates for just laws to stay in place and opposes the overturning of Roe verses Wade. It encourages civil discourse, upholds that the ELCA embraces members with varying options on reproductive rights, and offers prayer for those who would be most impacted by these decisions: people who experience trauma and poverty.
Additional Resources…
Bishop Eaton’s 2019 letter on abortion has relevant guidance for leaders and congregations today. In 2019, Bp. Eaton wrote: “No matter what your views on abortion are, as a church we are made up of members who have had abortions and members who have chosen not to. Among us are pastors, deacons, and others who have counseled with women, girls, and others they love. We are friends, loved ones, and relatives of people who have had to decide whether or not to get an abortion. We are all affected by the divisive discourse and the legal change.” She encourages reading and discussion of the 1991 ELCA Social Statement on abortion, and summarizes the ELCA’s stance from that statement: “Amid the legislative challenges to access to abortion, we must remember that this church supports ongoing access to legal abortion as well as access to abortion services and reproductive health care that is not restricted by economic factors.”
The 1991 ELCA Social Statement on Abortion is the authoritative document and guide for what the ELCA’s response to restrictions on abortion has been, is, and will be. Like other social statements and messages, it does not reflect the views of all the people who are the church. But it does mean that, when the people who are the ELCA speak out in public for legal, safe, and economically accessible abortions, we are in line with the ELCA’s social teachings and responding to the statement's call to work for safe and equitable reproductive healthcare for all. The statement’s conclusion reads: “The church’s role in society begins long before and extends far beyond legislative regulation. It seeks to shape attitudes and values that affirm people in whatever circumstances they find themselves. Its pastoral care, compassionate outreach, and life-sustaining assistance are crucial in supporting those who bear children, as well as those who choose not to do so. Through these and other means the people of God seek to be truly supportive of life.” The page for the social statement includes not only the statement itself, but also a study guide, an introduction and a brief summary.
