Dear OSC Community,
On May 2nd, national news media reported a leaked document indicating the Supreme Court of the United States would likely overturn Roe v. Wade. The next Sunday, we announced to the congregation that women at OSC would lead our church through this discussion. On June 24th this leak proved to be true.
Immediately after the leak, I set out to talk one-on-one with the women of OSC and hear their personal stories about this deeply sensitive issue. I believe the stories of our lives are sacred and worth taking the time to listen to and learn from. It is my experience that women are fantastic at the slow work of bearing one another's burdens. These conversations were no exception. I have had over 30 conversations with women from all over the age spectrum. I have talked with mothers, those who desire to be mothers, and those whose plans don't include motherhood. The vulnerability, honesty, and experiences of the women of our church have been profoundly beautiful to hear.
Many women told me they had never shared their stories about this issue with someone in the church. I heard the story of an illegal abortion that almost took the life of someone's sister in the late 1960's. And I listened to the story of someone who is a survivor of an abortion. She is thankful for her life. I heard another story of a woman who chose against having an abortion when she was told her child was not viable. That child is now a healthy teenager. Another woman shared her account of deciding to have an abortion after receiving a HER+ breast cancer diagnosis. This was a difficult decision, but it was her best chance at life. One woman I spoke with told me she changed her position on abortion after feeling the first movements of her unborn child, while several others changed their position on abortion after experiencing a traumatic birth or pregnancy. I heard from one of our members who, as a genetic counselor, works with women and their partners. Often the people she meets in her office face heart-wrenching decisions at a time when they are excitedly expecting.
Many women shared with me about sisters or friends who had received abortions and the fierce feelings of love and protection they have for those women's wellbeing. Some women shared their feelings of tremendous guilt and shame about having an abortion. I also heard a harrowing account of one woman's decision to have an abortion as a teenager because she knew her father would commit violence against her. This woman recounted feeling the Spirit of God with her during her abortion and firmly believes it was her only choice. Not one woman spoke about these decisions lightly or flippantly.
The women of OSC are incredible, faithful, loving, educated, and dynamic individuals. I am honored to walk alongside each one of them.
During these conversations, I heard the consistent thread of a desire to be part of a church that solidly teaches about Jesus and believes Christ brings change to our hearts and minds. The women of OSC want freedom of conscience to act according to their convictions and faith without fear of judgment from either side. The women of OSC are not a monolith; many of us come to the sanctity of life question from different perspectives, theologically and personally.
We acknowledge that this issue affects transgender men and non-binary people. We use male and female terms in the values listed below to refer to natal sex.
The following values have come out of my conversations with the women of OSC:
As a Church:
We will: Provide a community of discipleship and non-judgmental openness that extends God's bestowal of dignity to women who have an unplanned, unwanted, or medically complicated pregnancy, regardless of her decision.
We Will: Advocate against the criminalization of women and medical professionals, advocate for women to have access to care, equal pay, paid family leave, food security, and low-income housing, along with other social and anti-racist programs that have proven to provide a rich environment for women and children to thrive and are proven to reduce the number of abortions.
We Will: Affirm the God-ordained goodness of healthy sexual relationships, the moral necessity of consent, and the importance of access to contraception for both men and women.
We Will: Stand up and speak out against forms of religion and misogyny that shame, shun, berate, and use violence against women and girls who have unplanned, unwanted, or medically complicated pregnancies.
The women of OSC are willing to stand together and love one another despite differences in experience and beliefs on this nuanced issue. They stand ready to come to the table of Christ and meet God and each other with grace, honor, and love.
Sincerely,
Jenell Coker
Co-Minister
The Oceanside Sanctuary