Founded in 1987, Lifewatch, Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality (TUMAS) is a

501(c)(3) organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of t ...

that serves as the unofficial

anti-abortion Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respons ...

group within the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...

(UMC). The organization publishes a quarterly newsletter titled ''Lifewatch'' and is a member of the

National Pro-Life Religious Council Frank Anthony Pavone (born February 4, 1959) is an American anti-abortion activist and laicized Catholic priest. He is the national director of Priests for Life (PFL) and the chairman and pastoral director of its Rachel's Vineyard project. He ...

. The organization also frequently holds

seminar A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some parti ...

s to address within

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

the theological, moral, and social aspects of defending women and their unborn children from abortion. It is committed to reversing the ''

Roe v. Wade ''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States conferred the right to have an abortion. The decision struck down many federal and s ...

'' decision "by first providing theological leadership within the church, which will set an example that political, legal and cultural forces will follow." In May 2012 at the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, ''Lifewatch'' encouraged legislation to direct two church agencies—the General Board of Church and Society and United Methodist Women—to withdraw from the

Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) is an abortion rights organization founded in 1973 by clergy and lay leaders from mainline denominations and faith traditions to create an interfaith organization following ''Roe v. Wade'', t ...

(RCRC). Along with other mainline Protestant and religious counterparts, the two UMC agencies formed RCRC in 1973, then known as the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights (RCAR). Until 1993, RCAR operated from the United Methodist Building across from the

United States Supreme Court Building The Supreme Court Building houses the Supreme Court of the United States. Also referred to as "The Marble Palace," the building serves as the official workplace of the chief justice of the United States and the eight associate justices of th ...

where

Harry Blackmun Harry Andrew Blackmun (November 12, 1908 – March 4, 1999) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 to 1994. Appointed by Republican President Richard Nixon, Blac ...

, a "devout" Methodist, served as Associate Justice. Today, RCRC continues to function as a 501(c)(3) educational group promoting a controversial " theology of choice". It also operates as a 501(c)(4) political organization lobbying against legislation limiting the legal right to abortion on demand. On 19 May 2016, the General Conference of the UMC passed legislation to direct the two RCRC-member agencies to withdraw immediately. The motion was approved with a 425–268 vote difference. Statements of resignation were subsequently issued by both Church and Society and United Methodist Women. At the same General Conference, delegates voted to delete a four-decade-old statement from the Book of Resolutions that had affirmed the 1973 ''Roe v. Wade'' Supreme Court decision. The ruling removed any state restrictions against abortion that did not meet a standard of "

strict scrutiny In U.S. constitutional law, when a law infringes upon a fundamental constitutional right, the court may apply the strict scrutiny standard. Strict scrutiny holds the challenged law as presumptively invalid unless the government can demonstrate th ...

", which resulted in Blackmum receiving letters of condemnation from Methodist clergymen. The new resolution was overwhelmingly re-adopted 56–2 (97.3 percent), decrying gender-selective abortion, describing abortion as "violent" and opposing it for "trivial reasons". This was seen as a major win that restored an

perspective within Methodism. Over a century ago, Methodists were known for their commitment in supporting mothers with unplanned pregnancies. Several abortion-prevention and pro-adoption ministries are continuing today. Nevertheless, the Oregon-Idaho, California-Nevada, New England, New York and the Pacific-Northwest Annual Conferences all voted to join RCRC on their own in spite of Methodism's polity of connexionalism. Consequently, in 2016, ''Lifewatch'' began linking the "theology of choice" that has been contributing to the breakdown of society through abortion with the fragmentation of UMC polity leading to schism.

References

External links

* {{Official website Anti-abortion organizations in the United States United Methodist Church