We are saddened by the recent news that Reverend Dr. Ron Griffen — “Pastor Ron” — loyal supporter of Planned Parenthood and a brave catalyst for change, has passed away.
Rev. Griffen was the Lead Pastor of First United Methodist Church in El Centro and a very visible advocate for Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest in the Imperial Valley. Pastor Griffen was a member of Faith Leaders for Reproductive Justice, a local multi-faith group of clergy that supports reproductive health, rights, and justice:
“We are saddened to learn that we have lost Ron. He was truly courageous, both personally and professionally, and an inspiration to all of us. We know that his memory will be a blessing to all who were privileged to be touched by him.” –Faith Leaders for Reproductive Justice
Rev. Griffen’s support of Planned Parenthood was unwavering and he attended many of our events:
- Planned Parenthood’s 100th Anniversary event in Imperial Valley in October of 2016
- Imperial Valley Action Forum: Raise Your Voice in February of 2017
- He spoke at Our Lives are on the Line Rally in Imperial Valley in July 2017 (see article photo)
- He attended PPPSW’s Board of Directors Meeting in March of 2018, and joined the PPPSW panel where community leaders from Imperial Valley spoke about “The State of Imperial Valley and Planned Parenthood”
From an article he wrote in the Imperial Valley Press, as the Planned Parenthood health center in Imperial Valley was opening in January 2015:
“I do, however, recognize that tragic conflicts of life with life may justify abortion, and in such cases I think it is the role of the church to provide ministries to help and support women who make that difficult decision. Not to demonize them and the agencies that try to help them.”
Alberto Galvan, Community Engagement Manager in Imperial Valley, worked closely with Rev. Griffen and had this to share: “Something I always appreciated about Reverend Griffen was that he not only cared deeply about helping advance our mission in Imperial Valley, but he was also genuinely concerned for the well-being of our staff and patients. He shared with me that he was always available for staff and patients who needed someone to talk to, and that we were always in his prayers.”
Our thoughts are with Rev. Griffen’s family as they face this difficult loss, and with the Imperial Valley community that has lost an advocate and champion for change. We are grateful for his life-long commitment to serve and will keep his memory alive by continuing to work to ensure people of all faiths and backgrounds are able to access non-judgmental, quality health care.
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