American Council of Christian Churches
83rd Annual Convention, October 22-24, 2024
Hope Evangelical Methodist Church, Youngstown, PA
Resolution on In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
In vitro fertilization (IVF) came to the forefront of the American debate over the protection of the preborn when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled on February 16, 2024, that the destruction of frozen embryos at an IVF clinic was a case of “wrongful death” for which the clinic would be held legally liable. Surprisingly, many purportedly pro-life politicians[1] criticized the decision, and, as a result, the Alabama legislature hastily and overwhelmingly pushed through a bill to negate the ruling less than three weeks after it had been handed down.
No political person or party, however, can negate the divine truth that an embryo is a child in his or her earliest existence. Throughout the Bible, pregnant women are referred to as being “with child.” Psalm 139:13-16 also describes God’s active involvement in the creation and formation of the preborn child.
During the usual IVF process, numerous children are created by the parents and then frozen. One or more of the embryos are later thawed and implanted into the mother’s womb. Unused children ultimately are eliminated, in violation of the Sixth Commandment.
Wherefore, the American Council of Christian Churches at its 83rd annual convention, October 22-24, 2024, at Hope Evangelical Methodist Church of Youngstown, PA, resolves to oppose as murderous any IVF procedure which produces more children than a woman is willing to carry to birth. We commend the Alabama Supreme Court for its righteous decision, and we call upon civil governments to outlaw IVF when that procedure allows for the fertilization of eggs which eventually will be destroyed. We exhort churches to warn their people about the sin of creating babies which will likely be discarded, and we encourage pro-life statesmen to stand firm against both the destruction of preborn lives through IVF and the use of taxpayer funds to pay for IVF. At the same time, we support the use of fertilization technologies that do not result in the taking of human life.
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[1] The loudest voice was Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Regretfully, Trump strongly supports IVF and the use of public funds to pay for the procedure.
