Christian Leaders Respond to Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision

As Christians in the Vermont Conference of the United Church of Christ, we oppose the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. We believe that God is the Creator of all living beings and things, and that all human beings are created with the gift of free will and are of equal value. We believe that all people have a right to determine what one does with one’s own body, recognizing the difficult and painful yet life-supporting and life-sustaining necessity in making the decision to have an abortion. This is a statement rooted in our Christian faith, which opposes any policy, precedent, statement, or law that limits a human being’s right to bodily autonomy, determination, dignity, and respect.

Therefore, we stand with all women and people who can become pregnant in their right to choose, as we continue as followers of Jesus Christ, children of God, and members and friends of the Vermont Conference of the United Church of Christ to actively work together to answer our Christian call to love one another.

Rev. Paul Sangree, Associate Conference Minister, Vermont Conference, UCC

Rev. Dr. Lynn Bujnak, Conference Minister, Vermont Conference UCC

Rev. Jacquelyn Lingelbach, Ministries Coordinator, Vermont Conference, UCC

Elise Foster, Administrator, Vermont Conference, UCC

Rev. Katherine Buechner Arthaud, United Church of Fairfax

Rev. Tyrrell M. Hanley, Grace Congregational, UCC, Rutland

Rev. Sally May, Malletts Bay Congregational Church, UCC

Rev. Jay Sprout, United Community Church, UCC, St. Johnsbury

Rev. Dr. Scott Couper, Centre Congregational Church UCC

Claudia Marshall, Charlotte Congregational Church, UCC

Rev. Mary E. Woodman, First Congregational Church of Cornwall, Vt., UCC

Steve and Elaine Pacholek, Danville Congregational UCC Church

Rev. Susan Church, Roxbury Union Congregational Church, U.C.C. and E. Braintree and W. Brookfield Congregational Church, UCC.

Lou Rochford, First Congregational Church, Burlington, Vt.

Rev. Carole Carlson, retired, College St. Congregational Church, Burlington

Stefi Flanders, Malletts Bay Congregational Church UCC

Rev. John C. Weatherhogg, Pawlet Community Church

Alice S. Kitchel, United Community Church, UCC, St. Johnsbury, Vt.

Rev. Mark Pitton, Sharon Church, Vt.

Rev. Katelyn Macrae, Richmond Congregational Church UCC, Richmond, Vt.

Judi Joy, Bethany Church, Montpelier

Rev. Mark D. Wilson, Waitsfield United Church of Christ

Rev. Abigail Diehl-Noble, New Haven Congregational Church

Rev. Rona Kinsley, The Old Meeting House, East Montpelier Center, Vt.

Matt Van Wagner, Deacon, College Street Congregational Church, South Burlington, Vt.

Rev. Lava Mueller, Love Church, UCC, Randolph Center, Vt.

Rev. Kevin Goldenbogen, Charlotte Congregational Church, Charlotte, Vt.

Rev. Susan Cooke Kittredge, Charlotte Congregational Church, Charlotte, Vt.

Hadley Bunting, Charlotte Congregational Church, Charlotte, Vt.

Rev. Peter Plagge, Waterbury Congregational Church, Waterbury, Vt.

Rev. Rhonda D. Myers, Grace Congregational UCC, Rutland Vt.

Kathleen Haines, United Community Church, UCC, St. Johnsbury, Vt.

Rev. Dr. Ed Sunday-Winters, Greensboro UCC, Greensboro, Vt.

Brenda Hamm, Steward, Weybridge Congregational Church, Weybridge, Vt.

Phil Brown, United Community Church, UCC, St. Johnsbury, Vt.

Rev. Dr. Shawn E. Bracebridge, Dummerston Congregational Church, UCC, Dummerston, Vt.

Rev. Matthew Ryan Nelson-Rogalski, The United Church of Bellows Falls, Bellows Falls, Vt.

Rev. Peter M. Hammond, United Church of Newport

Rev. Jessica Moore, First Congregational Church of St. Albans

Rev. Susie Webster-Toleno, Congregational Church of Westminster West, UCC

Charlotte E. Gifford, Congregational Church of Westminster West, UCC

Rev. Tracy Fye Weatherhogg, Pawlet Community Church

Phyllis Modley, Richmond Congregational UCC

Rev. Daniel Wright, retired, Weybridge Congregational UCC

Rev. Margaret T. Wright, retired, Weybridge Congregational UCC

Frederica Mahlmann, Warren United Church UCC

Sandy Soho, Old South Church, Windsor, Vt.

Greg Soho, Old South Church, Windsor, Vt.

Susan Marchand-LeBrun, Old South Church, Windsor, Vt.

Stephanie Kalina, Old South Church, Windsor, Vt.

Rev James Merriam, Wells River Congregational Church, UCC

Deborah R. Henderson, Second Congregational Church, Hyde Park, Vt.

Thomas A.McGraw and Harriot T. McGraw, Old South Church-Windsor, Vt.

Virginia Brooks, Second Congregational Church, Hyde Park, Vt.

Rev Cass Poulos, Post Mills Congregational Church, UCC, Post Mills, Vt.

Heidi Willis, Weybridge Church, UCC

Rebecca Eleftherakis, Old South Church, Windsor, Vt.

Rev. Kathy Clark, Federated Church of East Arlington, Arlington, Vt.

Rev. Jennifer Mihok (United Methodist), United Church of Underhill, Underhill, Vt.

Margaret A. Campbell, Bethany Church UCC , Randolph, Vt.

Rev. Paul Eyer, Williston Federated Church, Williston, Vt.

Mary Paul Loomis, Second Congregational Church, Hyde Park, Vt.

Susan Mills, Bethany Church, UCC, Randolph, Vt.

Annette Higby, Bethany Church, UCC, Randolph, Vt.

Rev. Erin Reardon, Warren United Church, UCC, Warren, Vt.

Terry E Burgee, Bethany Church UCC, Randolph Vt.

Rev. Gregory Briggs, Sabbatical Pastor, Bethany Church UCC, Randolph Vt., and Vermont UCC

Conference Disaster Coordinator

Michele Brown, Member, Congregational Church of Middlebury, Middlebury Vt.

Rev. Jordan E. Dickinson, United Church of Dorset and East Rupert, Dorset, Vt.

Rev. D. Mark Blank, Second Congregational Church UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Rev. KellyAnn Donahue, East Corinth Congregational Church, East Corinth, Vt.

Stanley Adams, First Congregational Church, Newfane, Vt.

Deborah Farnham, Member, Congregational Church of Middlebury

Chris Heintz, Interim Minister, First Congregational Church, UCC, Manchester, Vt.

Rev. Mary H. Lee-Clark, retired, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Ms Marlyn Couture, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Rev. Cordelia Burpee, Congregational Church of South Hero, UCC, South Hero, Vt.

Rev. Susanna Knox Griefen, Retired

Nancy Fowler, First Congregational Church, Berlin

Julie Horst, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Margaret Rush, Congregational Church of Middlebury Vt., UCC

Rick and Sally Kerschner, Charlotte Congregational Church

Laura Nassau, College Street Congregational Church, Burlington, Vt.

David Vanderlinde-Abernathy, Pastor Emeritus, Barre Congregational Church

Janice Day, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Virginia Ray, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Rev. Constance D. Moser, Retired, Hartland Congregational Church, UCC, Hartland, Vt.

Nora Parsons and Tim Foley, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington

Tonja A. Gray, First Congregational Church of St. Albans, Vt.

Bonnie Stevens, Member, Congregational Church of Middlebury, Vt., UCC

Barbara Primmer, Second Congregational Church, Bennington, Vt., UCC

Nancy Rhoades, Warren United UCC, Warren, Vt.

Ernie Lafontaine, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

C.J. King, Jamaica, Vt., MTLS, Hartford Seminary, 2022

Katherine A. Wayman, Member, Williston Federated Church, Williston, Vt.

Ria Tingin Rajbl, Malletts Bay UCC, Colchester, Vt.

Jennifer Hemsted, Malletts Bay UCC, Colchester, Vt.

Angela Presson, (from Utah), Malletts Bay UCC, Colchester, Vt.

Ken Hoffman, (from Utah), Malletts Bay UCC, Colchester, Vt.

Linda Presson, Malletts Bay UCC, Colchester, Vt.

Rick Presson, Malletts Bay UCC, Colchester, Vt.

David Porter, Malletts Bay UCC, Colchester, Vt.

Joel Long, Malletts Bay UCC, Colchester, Vt.

Grace Cleary, Malletts Bay UCC, Colchester, Vt.

Bonnie Holden, Moderator, Second Congregational Church UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Mary Lou DeCosta , Moderator, Malletts Bay Congregational Church, Colchester, Vt.

Rita Lane, Shrewsbury Community Church, Shrewsbury, Vt.

Bruce Smith and Jennifer Clarkson-Smith, Second Congregational Church UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Pat Lafontaine, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Christine Gray, Asst. Treas., Newfane First Congregational Church, UCC, Newfane Vt.

Rev. Robert C. Hamm, Pastor, Newfane Congregational Church, UCC, Newfane, Vt.

Jana Lillie, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

David Haley, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Doug Klette, First Congregational Church of St. Albans

Mary Bostick, Deacon, First Congregational Church of St. Albans

Valarie Walden, First Congregational Church of St. Albans

Stephen McLaughlin, First Congregational Church of St. Albans

Rev. Kimberly S. McKerley, Bethany Church, UCC, Randolph, Vt.

Evan Lawrence, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Lee R. Jacobs, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Lorna Cheriton, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Hamilton Topping. Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Debbie Dawson, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Norma J. McShane, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Karen Ranttila, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington Vt.

Rev. Mary S. Hoadley, Brownington Congregational Church, UCC, Brownington, Vt.

Michael Mario, First Congregational Church, UCC, Springfield, Vt.

Candy McLaughlin, member, Congregational Church of Middlebury, Vt. UCC

Alexis Scangas, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Rev. Leigh McCaffrey, Barre Congregational Church, Barre, Vt.

Susan DeLucia, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Rev. Andrew Nagy-Benson, The Congregational Church of Middlebury, UCC

Joyce B Hundley, esq., Wolcott, Vt.

Rev. Robert M Hundley, Wolcott, Vt.

Rev Barbara Purinton

Rev Charles Purinton

Rev Pat Holcomb, Retired Pastor

Rev. Amy Davin, First Congregational Church of Hartland, UCC, Hartland, Vt.

Rev Dr Michael Caldwell, retired pastor, Wolcott, Vt.

Deborah Perkins, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Kathy Wonson Eddy

Rev. Linda Kulas, retired, Rutland, Vt.

The Rev. David Andrews, Retired Pastor, Middlebury, Vt.

The Rev. Karen Lipinczyk, Retired Pastor, Windsor, Vt.

Rev. Mary Lewis Webb

Rev. Amy C. Pitton, Bethany Church, Montpelier, Vt..

Rev. Caryne A. Eskridge, Weybridge Congregational Church, UCC, Weybridge, Vt.

Rev. Elliott Munn, Vergennes Congregational Church, UCC, Vergennes, Vt.

Rev Jeremy Kirk, Settled Pastor and Teacher, West Dover Congregational Church, UCC

Rev. Douglas Carter, Danville Congregational Church, Danville, Vt.

Rev. Elizabeth Gleich, The Congregational Church of Middlebury, UCC

Rev. Laura Cadmus, Chaplain, UVM Medical Center, Burlington, Vt.

Cindy Marshall, The Congregational Church of Middlebury, UCC

Susan E. Miller, Dummerston Congregational Church, UCC

The Rev. Ann Hockridge, Wheelock, Vt.

Natalie Basil, Second Congregational Church, UCC, Bennington, Vt.

Elizabeth Christie, Guilford Community Church, UCC

Rick Rayfield, Waitsfield UCC

Julie A. Kraus, Bethany UCC, Randolph, Vt.

Rev. Janice Chilek

Anna Louise Gerac

Rev. Gary Lewis, retired, Williston Federated Church

Barbara L. Bye, Christ’s Church of Saxtons River

Kristan T. Norris, UCC of St. Johnsbury, Vt.

Rev. Mark Mendes, First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, Vt.

Rev. Elisa Lucozzi, Guilford Community Church, UCC

Stanley E. Adams, Member, Newfane Congregational Church, Newfane, Vt.

Jane Hanley, Grace Congregational, UCC, Rutland

Beverly Langeveld, Guilford Community Church, Guilford, Vt.