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Faith in Action - Advocacy for Reproductive Justice

Read our 2009 Annual Report

From the Chair of the Board
Times of Change and Growth

Dear Friends,
These are times of positive change and growth for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.   

For 37 years – since our founding shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision – RCRC has been highly regarded for consistently bringing together religious communities and constituencies to address controversial reproductive rights issues. We have worked in partnership to advocate for reproductive health care from an interfaith perspective and to mount effective challenges to our opponents’ tactics.

Numerous trends are impacting the environment in which we work– among them, realignments among pro-choice and anti-choice policymakers and politicians, economic pressures affecting access to reproductive services, new thinking about how reproductive rights fits into the paradigm of social justice, and new interest groups opposed to fundamental rights. RCRC’s relevance and experience is essential to meet these new challenges.

But changing conditions do call for reviewing our work and focus. I am pleased to report that the Coalition was active throughout the year in analyzing and evaluating our resources and capabilities. Led by our forward-looking Board of Directors, we formed two task forces - the SWOT Task Force (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) and the Governance Task Force – to analyze complex organizational issues involving our numerous stakeholders. We began to implement immediately the recommendations of the task forces, with the result being a strengthened ability to meet the challenges of the current environment. In May, we brought together RCRC grassroots activists for an intensive three-day session to help lay the groundwork for future planning. I commend all involved in these activities for their initiative and insights, as well as many others who are active in their own staff affiliates and networks. Their work has already been instrumental in building an even more effective Coalition.

Although we have a pro-choice President and a Congress that leans pro-choice, the political scene has shifted under pressure from conservative Democrats, right-leaning faith groups, and aggressively anti-choice Republicans. The progressive religious voice must continue to be strengthened, and this is where RCRC is needed and has so much to offer. RCRC is proud to continue to move forward as the nationally recognized religious voice for reproductive health and justice.

Carol Blowers
Chair of the Board


From the President and CEO
A Groundswell of Support

Dear Colleagues,
In the movement for reproductive justice, dedicated supporters are essential. Your letters, emails, conversations, lobby visits, financial contributions, and all the other ways you contribute to the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice have had a powerful effect on public opinion and public policy. Today, there is a groundswell of support among people of faith for responsible policies that safeguard women’s health and rights and foster healthy families.

Together, we have worked hard and long to make this progress possible. You will read about our successes during the year in this Annual Report. On behalf of all of us at RCRC – our Board, Council of Governors, and staff – thank you for being faithful to the mission of RCRC to “bring the moral power of religious communities to ensure reproductive choice through education and advocacy.”

The extreme challenges posed by the economic downturn affected those least able to cope, making life even more difficult for women and families without adequate financial and medical resources. The battle for comprehensive reproductive health coverage in health care reform showed, again, the persistence of the unjust Hyde Amendment. Without your support and advocacy, you can be sure that women would face even more onerous restrictions than those currently in place.

With your support, we had a pivotal role in the fight for health care reform and comprehensive sexuality education. We pushed back vigorously against anti-choice tactics across the country - in California, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington state, West Virginia and Wisconsin. We effectively activated religious, pro-choice constituents, increased the faith community’s impact on reproductive justice advocacy, and catalyzed young adult activism. We are proud of our ability to act nimbly to protect women's health and to advocate for those whose voice is not heard.

We are firm in our resolve to preserve women’s dignity and choices. Thank you for standing with us.

Reverend Dr. Carlton W. Veazey
President and CEO

An Overview of the Year

RCRC was on the frontline of faith-centered activism for health care reform that included full coverage of reproductive health services. We conducted a vigorous information and advocacy campaign to marshal and publicize the support of religious leaders and clergy for maintaining the current standard of reproductive health care. Reverend Veazey was one of a handful of pro-choice religious leaders whose views were sought out by the White House and Congressional leaders. He pressed for legislation that respects our nation's diverse religious views on access to abortion and spoke boldly against the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ lobbying for the anti-choice Stupak Amendment in the House and language proposed by Sen. Ben Nelson in the Senate bill.

Our on-the-ground organizing activities with clergy, our state affiliates and networks, and people of faith resulted in an increase in the number of clergy, religious leaders and people of faith who support our goals and in greater awareness about religious perspectives on reproductive issues.

The achievements of our pioneering and innovative multicultural program, which has the dual mission of increasing diversity in the reproductive rights movement and providing comprehensive sexuality education within the African American and Latino communities, ranged from educating hundreds of youth and adults in Black churches to informing members of the Congressional Black Caucus of the need to advance sexuality education and reproductive health services in African American communities.

At an exciting and intense three-day gathering in May, energized RCRC activists discussed building the religious reproductive justice movement. This experience served to identify issues that will form the basis of strategic planning in 2010.

Read our 2008 Annual Report

Read our 2007 Annual Report.

Read our 2006 Annual Report

Read about the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice's 2005 accomplishments.