Lightstock photo
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) churches have an opportunity to join other Southern Baptist churches across the nation on Jan. 21 in affirming and celebrating the sanctity of human life.
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is observed each year on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of Roe v. Wade – the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized elective abortion in the U.S.
Arkansas Pregnancy Network (APN) Executive Director Christie Robertson called Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, which was started by a 1984 proclamation by President Ronald Reagan, a day to observe with believers across the nation whose hearts are grieved by the tragedy of abortion.
The goal is to “bring awareness to life in the womb and hopefully make it the safest place to be instead of one of the most dangerous places to be,” Robertson said.
Arkansas’ current law bans abortions except to save the mother’s life in a medical emergency. The law took effect when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022. The mission of the Arkansas Pregnancy Network is to save and change lives by “equipping people, empowering ministries and engaging communities toward a culture of life.”
Robertson said pregnancy centers in the state of Arkansas have given out approximately $5,000,000 worth of supplies and services in the last 18 months all at no cost to the clients, including ultrasounds, STI testing and treatment, parenting classes, diapers, wipes, clothing, formula, car seats, strollers, pack-n-plays and more.
“Fifty percent of women will choose life after seeing an ultrasound when at first considering abortion. When they see a heartbeat, they know it’s not just a blob of tissue, it’s a life,” Robertson said, noting pregnancy centers across the state are offering ultrasounds at no cost to clients.
“Women are choosing life after seeing their baby on an ultrasound and being educated on abortion and the effects it has on their life. Women and men are coming to know Christ as the Gospel is shared. We know that as hearts are changed, lives are transformed, and generations are saved. Moms and dads are learning to be parents through the multiple parenting classes that are offered.”
Robertson said 25 percent of all women will choose abortion in their lifetime. Sixty percent of those women attend church on a regular basis.
“It’s important for churches to discuss the topic. Even if women in the congregation have had an abortion. They need to know there is healing available. I heard a pastor say one time, ‘either abortion is not that bad, or the Gospel is not that good,’” she said.
ABSC Community Missions Strategist Clint Ritchie works with many of the pregnancy care centers across the state. He noted that in 2023, the pregnancy care center sites that receive funding from ABSC Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering reported 18,625 clients, 4,323 Gospel presentations, 105 professions of faith and 892 babies saved from abortion. Not represented are the classes completed that focus on parenting, budgeting, and other essential family skills. Additionally, the personal investment that volunteers make into the lives of their clients cannot be measured on this side of heaven, Ritchie said.
Last year, the Arkansas Baptist Children and Family Ministries (ABCFM) office had approximately 30 women with unexpected pregnancies reach out about adoption services. Twenty of those mothers chose to parent rather than place for adoption. Several of those mothers are now in ABCFM’s Desired Haven Family Care program.
Maria Speer, executive director of Life Choices Pregnancy Resource Center in Conway, said Sanctity of Life Sunday is an opportunity for churches to emphasize the importance of the issue and give it the attention it may not always receive.
A few ways Speer said churches could bring emphasis on the day include:
- Preach a sanctity of life sermon.
- Partner with the local pregnancy care/resource center/give a love offering.
- Pray for the unborn, the mothers and fathers, and those who have experienced abortion loss. Pray for the pregnancy centers and staff.
“There are lots of ways people could honor that day, but it is really just about not forgetting that it is happening and that it is a real issue in our country,’ Speer said.
For more information on resources of the ABCFM, click here or here. To learn more about the pregnancy care centers supported by the ABSC, visit absc.org/pregnancy. Further information can be found on the Arkansas Pregnancy Network website.