The General Assembly is not our denomination's most conservative body. Most commissioners serve only one time for one year in their lives, so each Assembly has its own character.

The 1997 General Assembly sent down to the presbyteries a proposed amendment to remove the fidelity/chastity paragraph from the Book of Order. In spite of that Assembly's support for the ordination of those in sexual relationships outside marriage, it nevertheless rejected late term abortion. That Assembly expressed moral opposition to the deaths of partially-born babies from a procedure in which they were killed after being delivered except for their heads.

The rejection by that General Assembly of partial birth abortion was entirely consistent with the General Assembly's current abortion policy, which says, for example:

• The strong Christian presumption is that since all life is precious to God, we are to preserve and protect it. Abortion ought to be an option of last resort.*

and,

• Under circumstances in which abortion is the decision, it is preferable for it to happen earlier rather than later.*

and,

• ...after human life has begun, it is to be cherished and protected as a precious gift of God. While Presbyterians do not have substantial agreement on when human life begins, we do have agreement that taking human life is sin.*

General Assembly offices are restrained in their lobbying by G.A. opposition to late term abortions
Prior to the action by the 1997 General Assembly, the Washington Office and the Office of the Stated Clerk were actively lobbying Congress in favor of partial birth abortions. When the 1997 G.A. adopted its statement of opposition to late term abortion, the Washington Office fell silent and the Stated Clerk reported to Congress the action of the General Assembly.

However, when legislation in Nebraska revived the issue of partial birth abortions, the PC(USA) Advisory Committee on Litigation (ACL) urged the Stated Clerk to enter an amicus brief in favor of partial birth abortion. Failing to obtain the support of one of the most liberal of our presbyteries, Baltimore Presbytery, the Stated Clerk withdrew the amicus brief.

That prompted the ACL to take action to rescind the 1997 General Assembly statement of opposition to late term abortion. The ACL asked the General Assembly of 2000 to refer to the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), a committee that supports abortion rights advocacy, a request to study and report the policy of the PC(USA) on late term abortion. The joint ACL and ACSWP report will be delivered to this General Assembly with their recommendations.

Ministry and lobbying collide
Even as General Assembly offices were chafing under the restriction on their lobbying imposed by the action of the 1997 G.A., local churches were sending up overtures to the General Assembly that not only approved of the 1997 action of opposition to late term abortion, but also asked for a broader application of the statement. In 2001 two overtures that originated in sessions and came through presbyteries asked in one case that the Board of Pensions stop paying for late term abortions (01-26), and in the other case that the General Assembly express its moral opposition to abortions beyond 20 weeks (01-47), which is regarded as the marker for viable unborn babies. Both those overtures were referred to ACSWP for consideration as they did their study and prepared their report.

This year several more overtures on abortion are coming up from local churches. They ask that the General Assembly speak for the protection of babies late in pregnancy who could live outside the womb (02-37), that the Board of Pensions preclude payment for partial birth abortion (02-46), and that the Office of Theology and Worship prepare pastoral resources for use by our churches in ministering to women who suffer adverse spiritual, emotional and psychological effects of abortion and need the restorative ministry of the Gospel (02-52).

Local churches seek the General Assembly's help in providing moral guidance and spiritual resources. The litigation and social policy committees, ignoring the pleas of the overtures referred to them, ask the General Assembly to affirm a statement that allows them to resume their lobbying for late term abortion. Rather than speaking pastorally to ways in which the Church can protect mothers and their unborn babies late in pregnancy, the report from ACSWP creates loopholes with exceptions that removes all protection for babies.

The General Assembly has a tough decision ahead
The 1997 General Assembly statement of opposition to late term abortion is supported by the moral counsel in the current G.A. abortion policy (1992). It should not be difficult for commissioners to this Assembly to hear the pleas of local sessions for them to take a clear moral stand and to make the practical applications, in restrictions on using mission money to pay for late term abortions, for example. It should not be difficult for the General Assembly to hear what the ACL and the ACSWP were unable to hear from our congregations.

But the pressures on a General Assembly can be intense. The voices of experienced and sophisticated resource persons can be subtle and persuasive. Overture advocates usually have never been to an assembly before. But staff resources have been there every year and their jobs are at stake in the decisions. That is what makes the decision tough for commissioners.

The G. A. has an opportunity to support local churches and give witness to Gods value for unborn human lives
We must pray earnestly that commissioners will hear the voice of God in this debate. We must pray that they will listen to their own consciences and remember the concerns expressed by our General Assembly policy as well as the General Assembly of 1997.

Now is the time for the Church to give good, godly protection to babies who are approaching full term and delivery into our world. Now is the time to resist the subtle arguments that want to erase the Church's moral guidance and free G.A. offices to lobby in favor of late term abortions. Now is the time to support the expressed desires of local churches to restrain abortions and minister to women who are making decisions in crisis pregnancies.

* Quotations are from Problem Pregnancies and Abortion, policy adopted by the 204th General Assembly, 1992, page 11.

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