Support our effort to build and educate
an interfaith community that supports choice.
Support our effort to build and educate
an interfaith community that supports choice.
Ohio RCRC continues to faithfully speak out and advocate for compassionate reproductive care for all — including full access to birth control, adoption, family planning, abortion, and foster care.
It is a surprise to many that there exists an organization promoting ‘pro-choice’ religious views. Many assume that all people of faith are anti-abortion/anti-choice. However, the vast majority of Christians and the majority of Americans are in favor of keeping abortion safe and legal, whether they would choose themselves to have an abortion or not.
Many people are “pro-faith, pro-family, and pro-choice,” as the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) slogan goes. Ohio RCRC seeks to build a faith-based community that preserves and protects the rights and moral dignity of all who are making decisions about reproductive health and dealing with reproductive loss.
At our core, RCRC is a coalition of national religious organizations. Like any coalition, the views of each denomination or organization are their own and often vary.
The power of our collective voice for reproductive justice is magnified by the unique, diverse views of our various member organizations – views which are grounded in thousands of years of scriptural texts and accepted beliefs around the moral agency of people to make the decisions that are best for them and their reproductive lives.
The church law in many Mainline and other religious denominations states that abortion should be safe, legal, and accessible. Members of the RCRC include the Episcopal, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalist Association, Catholics for Choice, and Reformed, Conservative, and Orthodox Judaism.
Trainings, Presentations, & More!
Trainings, Presentations, & More!
Come learn about Reproductive Justice and the power it holds to support individuals and communities while making decisions about their own bodies, genders, sexualities, families, and lives. Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans (AAPIs), in particular, will explore how they can lift up their voices and values to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice across other social justice movements.
Hear why Rev. Dr. Marian Stewart, the Senior Pastor of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus, put her faith into action by testifying against the six-week abortion ban. Ohio RCRC’s Executive Director Elaina Ramsey will also share opportunities for people of faith to provide practical, compassionate support to those seeking abortion care.
In collaboration with Rev. Dr. Chris Davies, Ohio RCRC's Executive Director will lead a messaging workshop called “How to Have (Un)Righteous Conversations with Conservatives & Liberals.” SAVE THE DATE!
Meet Our Leadership
Meet Our Leadership
Ohio RCRC is led by our executive director and a Board of Trustees. The board is currently searching for new members who have a range of skills and connections and will enhance our religious, geographic, ethnic, and racial diversity. Help us promote reproductive justice for all Ohioans - email us at info@ohiorcrc.org to become a board member!
Elaina Ramsey has served as Ohio RCRC's Executive Director since June 2017.
With a decade of campaign, advocacy, and communications experience, Elaina loves listening to people’s stories and engaging communities for social change. She has worked for various nonprofits and campaigns at the intersection of faith and politics — including Sojourners, Red Letter Christians, Women’s Action for New Directions, and Obama for America.
Elaina received her bachelor's degree from Capital University in Columbus, OH. She holds a master's degree in both Theological Studies and International Peace & Conflict Resolution from Wesley Theological Seminary and American University, respectively. Elaina hails from Chillicothe, OH, and adores her wild and wonderful family.
Ms. Hunter serves as a resident attorney at Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services in Akron, Ohio. She graduated from Vermont Law School in 2014, where she served as chair of their chapter of Law Students for Reproductive Justice. During that time, she brought Dr. Katharine Morrison of Buffalo Women’s Service (a woman who opened a birthing center in her abortion clinic) to speak at their annual Roe v. Wade Anniversary Dinner.
Ms. Hunter is a licensed attorney in New York and Ohio and continues her work in the Buckeye state with legal issues at the intersection of environmental and reproductive justice. She is a proud pro-choice Catholic.
Rev. Kelly Burd is pastor of the historic Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio. Pastor Kelly earned a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Ohio University in 1992. Following graduation, she bartended at the world’s longest bar on South Bass Island in Lake Erie and taught English in Tokyo, Japan before matriculating at Yale Divinity School, where she earned a Master of Divinity. Among other justice pursuits, Rev. Burd is a skilled sexuality educator and advocate of Our Whole Lives (OWL), a comprehensive sexuality education program co-published by the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Association.
Robert Nosanchuk is Senior Rabbi of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Cleveland, Ohio. Rabbi Nosanchuk also serves as co-chair of Greater Cleveland Congregations; holds a seat on the boards of NATAL: Israel’s Trauma and Resiliency Center and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Since a teenager, Rabbi Nosanchuk has seen himself as an activist for peace, justice and equality. Within the world of pro-choice advocacy, he has advanced his synagogue’s work with the Freedom of Choice Coalition in Cleveland and has been an advocate and ally of the “My Abortion, My Life” campaign. A graduate who was rabbinically ordained by the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, he is currently pursuing a Certificate in Counseling and Spiritual Wellness at John Carroll University.
Make no mistake — abortion bans like this are part of an extreme, religious agenda to control people’s bodies and beliefs. This Valentine’s Day, forget the flowers. All we want is religious and reproductive freedom.
There are many lies and misinformation circulating lately about later abortions. Don’t fall for it.
Mike DeWine was sworn in today as Ohio’s 70th governor, taking the oath of office on a stack of Bibles. Here’s our pledge to you…without the 9 Bibles.
As a faithfully pro-choice Christian, I firmly believe these bills are not about protecting life. If they were about life, then there would be exceptions for rape and incest. If they were about life, we would care just as deeply about children in our midst and provide them with safer schools and healthcare
It’s now or never. These dangerous, immoral, and unconstitutional bills must be stopped by the end of the year before they become law.
The testimony of Rabbi Jessica Shimberg of The Little Minyan Kehilah in opposition to the six-week abortion ban (House Bill 258).
The testimony of Rev. Dr. Marian Stewart, Senior Minister of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus, against House Bill 258, the six-week abortion ban.
It’s a new week, but with new abortion bans making its way through the Ohio legislature. We must stop these bans by the end of the year before they become law!
Ohio RCRC Executive Director Elaina Ramsey and Rev. Terry Williams joined NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio’s podcast to discuss faith-based support for reproductive freedom.
Check out a recap of our fall clinic blessings and learn about our three December gatherings. Help invest in our transformative work — and double your impact — by donating to Ohio RCRC this holiday season.
In this televised interview, we speak out on why the six-week abortion ban is out of touch with Ohio values.
Our executive director joins the My Abortion, My Life: The Podcast to discuss personal value and the impact of religious beliefs on abortion decisions. Listen now!
Our executive director shares her take on how the actions of the Cincinnati-area students from Covington Catholic High School were not "pro-life," but rooted in white male privilege and religious bigotry, among others.
A letter to the editor from our very own Elaina Ramsey: “We must work toward a compassionate society where women’s bodily autonomy is honored, and children are born wanted and welcomed into a safe community that provides for their needs. I urge Gov. Kasich to veto House Bill 258 and Senate Bill 145.”
“About 90 individuals and organizations testified against the bill, including The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Ohio State Medical Association, Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Medical Professionals of Ohio, Catholics for Choice and several doctors.”
“We want to show there are people of faith who support bodily rights,” said Elaina Ramsey, executive director of the Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, which hosted the event, “Holy Ground: Blessing the Sacred Space of Decision.”
Rev. Kelly Burd, an Ohio RCRC board member, unpacks how Washington's push for abstinence-only sex education does a disservice to youth and young adults.
Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk - an Ohio RCRC board member - speaks out against the Abortion Method Ban (Senate Bill 145) "because each woman deserves the dignity and respect to make her own reproductive decisions."
In a letter to the editor, Ohio RCRC's executive director calls out the media for one-sided reporting on abortion.
Get to know these influential Christian voices, including our very own leader Elaina Ramsey!