EPISCOPAL CHURCH CELEBRATES ABORTION

Many denominations, including The Episcopal Church, honor, revere, and celebrate abortion. Many women clergy support abortion. In fact, the Rev. Katherine Ragsdale, an Episcopal priest and recently resigned president and dean of The Episcopal Divinity School, was dubbed the "High Priestess of Abortion" by The American Spectator magazine, for her declaration that "Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done!" She shouted this during a 2007 pro-abortion rally in Birmingham, Alabama.

Currently, St. James Episcopal Church in Wichita, Kansas, is garnering a lot of ink from the national religious media due to the announcement of plans to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Roe v Wade as a fund raiser for Planned Parenthood -- a known abortion mill. The Episcopal parish is joining forces with Planned Parenthood of Kansas & Mid-Missouri to celebrate the death of more than 56 million developing babies who were legally ripped from their mothers' wombs before taking their first breath.

The Chili for Choice supper is slated to be held at St. James parish hall from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22 providing a venue for Planned Parenthood in conjunction with College Hill United Methodist Church. Tickets range in price from $20 (Student/Income Sensitive) to $1,000 (Scorching Serrano) each. There are also Spicy Poblano ($40); Red Hot Cayenne ($100); Sizzling Jalapeno ($300); and Fiery Habanero ($500) ticket prices.

"Dear friends and family of St. James Episcopal Church, we are aware of the blessing our church building is to our congregation and to our community," St. James' Facebook page announces. "We are grateful to have the opportunity to share our resources with neighbors. Later this month, College Hill United Methodist Church and the Wichita chapter of Planned Parenthood will use our parish hall for their annual chili supper."

College Hill United Methodist Church bills itself as a Reconciling Ministries Network RMN) congregation. RMN is the United Methodist equivalent of Integrity USA in The Episcopal Church. Both organizations are seeking full congregational inclusion regardless of sexual orientations or gender identity. The only events College Hill United Methodist Church lists on its online social calendar for Jan. 22 are the ROMEO's (Retired Old Men Eating Out) breakfast at 8 a.m., and the Needle Arts Guild meeting at 10 a.m.

"After several years of supporting the ministry of our friends in peace, St. James has this year been attacked by anti-abortion activists. The harassment to this point includes phone calls, email messages, sensational website articles and Facebook postings. We are doing our best to keep the St. James Facebook page free of inappropriate or unwanted posts. Please let us know if something appears here which needs our administrative attention and report the post to Facebook if you think doing so is appropriate," St. James' Facebook reveals. "The Wichita chapter of Planned Parenthood supports well-woman checks for women of low-income at the Wichita Clinic. For further information about this event, please contact College Hill United Methodist Church or the Wichita chapter of Planned Parenthood. It is our intention to pray for all people who are troubled by our nation's debate over abortion. There are no easy answers. May all who carry concern find peace, may the wounded be healed, and may the love of God rule in our hearts."

The St. James Planned Parenthood happening is one of a stable of like events dedicated to celebrating the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision which opened the doors to abortion-on-demand within the United States, thus making abortion a woman's protected legal right.

In celebration of the Supreme Court ruling, Planned Parenthood chapters around the United States have planned a wide variety of events to commemorate the ruling: the Chili for Choice supper at St. James to a wine tasting in Chicago; and a Rock 'n Roe event in Orlando to a Taco and Beer bash in Montana; and a NARAL (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League) concert in Durham, N.C. to the private screening of Obvious Child, billed as an "abortion comedy," in Nassau County, NY.

"As part of similar events around the country, St. James Episcopal Church in Wichita, Kansas, is hosting a 'Chili for Choice' event on January 22, working hand-in-hand with Planned Parenthood of Kansas & Mid-Missouri, to bring more money to the abortion giant. St. James is encouraging its congregation to not only buy tickets or sponsorships, but to invite friends and family to endorse abortion-on-demand through promoting the endorsement and participation in the event." One-News-Now reports. "And this is by no means your typical five-dollar church fundraiser or pancake breakfast, as congregants and community members are encouraged to bring loaded pocketbooks to the event, where six different ticket prices range from an "income-sensitive" $20 ticket all the way up to $1,000. Whereas churches in America are more commonly known for soliciting donations to help the local soup kitchen, spread the Gospel in Russia, build homes in Mexico, or dig water wells in Africa in the name of Christ, St. James is instead extracting funds from the community to help abort local preborn children."

St. James seems to be an active church with its 96th Annual Meeting slated for the Sunday (Jan. 25) following the Chili for Choice supper. The rector is Dawn Frankfurt, who came to the church in 2011 and prefers to be called "Mother Dawn". She has three deacons in ministry: Deedee Evans, Peg Flynn, and Jeff Roper. There are also two other priests listed on the website: Jon Hullinger as assistant rector and Sam Criss as volunteer priest-missioner. The church has three established musical choirs -- the young Choristers choir, St. James' Choir, and the Schulmerich Handbell Choir.

The Wichita Episcopal congregation is busy throughout the week. The parish has a baptized membership of 925 with an ASA of 225 and a Plate & Pledge of about $525,000 to support its various ministries and its six ordained clergy.

ST. JAMES UNDER FIRE FOR PRO ABORTION STAND

Now St. James is starting to receive flack for their announced participation in the Chili for Choice supper.

"Since Monday morning, January 5, our staff and volunteers have been continually harassed by those who have chosen to take issue with an event being held at our church later this month. We hope not to flag in doing what is right in the face of hostility.

The Episcopal Church slowly started to embrace abortion rights during the 1967 General Convention in Seattle when a resolution was passed supporting a new abortion law that would allow the procedure for the physical or mental health of the mother or as the result of rape and incest or for fetal deformity. This thinking was a change from the 1964 General Convention which stated, "The Church continues to condemn non-therapeutic abortions..."

Since that first crack in the armor, The Episcopal Church has done a complete about face when it comes to supporting abortion. The Episcopal Church is a member of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC). TEC is one of only five denominations to belong including the United Methodist Church, the Unitarian Universalists, the Metropolitan Community Church, and the United Church of Christ. Other active RCRC members are liberal subgroups within traditional church bodies -- Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian, Disciples of Christ, and Jewish. There are no Baptists listed, nor Assemblies of God, nor Quakers, nor Evangelicals, nor Pentecostals, but the Anti-Defamation League is a member.

How much The Episcopal Church has changed through the years. Currently, according to The American Spectator magazine, there is a "high priestess of abortion" and now a Kansas congregation all too ready, willing and able to host an abortion mill fund raiser which will help foster the snuffing out of more human life in the womb. This congregation is led by a woman priest "Mother Dawn." Mothers are designed by God to bring forth and nurture life.

"The Reverend Mother Dawn Frankfurt just finished leading her congregation of St. James Episcopal Church of Wichita, Kansas in celebrating the birth of the Baby Jesus. Carols were sung, liturgies were performed and Communion taken, all in the name of the miracle baby who was sent from Heaven to save the world. The congregation was invited to contemplate and rejoice over the mysterious miracle of God Incarnate, formed in Mary's womb by the power of the Holy Spirit, giver of life. Perhaps the participants in St. James' Christmas Eve service had warm and fuzzy feelings as they saw a customary Christmas pageant complete with the Holy Family with the Baby Jesus in the manger," writes Fay Voshell in The American Thinker magazine. "But in a turn of events reminiscent of the story of King Herod, who ordered the massacre of the innocents in order to rid himself of rivals for kingship, Mother Dawn, in a matter of mere days, turned 180 degrees from celebration of the Christmas message to celebrating the killing of the unborn..."

Kansas is indeed bleeding.

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline