On Sunday afternoon hundreds of anti-abortion advocates gathered at Fourth Memorial Church, as they have for 41 years, to pray for the country to turn from its immoral ways and to urge Christians to keep on in the fight against abortion.
At the annual Walk for Life event nearly 300 people came together to worship before marching from the church to Planned Parenthood for a prayer rally.
“The good news is that we’re all here today,” said pastor Tim White, of Tri-County Christian Center in Deer Park.
He presented data from a recent report from the Guttmacher Institute, which showed key findings, including a report that 39 states enacted 141 provisions related to reproductive health and rights in 2013.
“Clearly the tide is shifting,” he said. “I think those who are pro-choice need to surrender and convert.”
Pastor Doug Malott, of Rock of Ages Christian Fellowship, encouraged attendees to shift their strategy, and target their prayers to end abortions worldwide.
Jim Anderson, of Lifeline Ministries, served as the keynote speaker at the rally. He said abortions are the result of a culture that worships sex.
“People want to have sex, no matter who gets hurts,” he said.
That, he said, is the issue the church needs to address.
However, he noted, the church also needs to step up and help women who have found themselves in an unwanted pregnancy situation.
“We celebrate when a woman chooses her child, but then we send her into a life of poverty. We leave her,” he said.
Anderson urged local Christians to step up and help single mothers by providing comfort and community.
“We can’t afford to have women wearing a modern day scarlet letter,” he said.
He said Christians need to be more intentional about becoming foster parents, adoptive parents, mentors and counselors to those who could potentially fall victim to abortion.
“Hillary had it wrong when she said it takes a village,” Anderson said. “It takes the church of Jesus.”
The group ended the rally by walking from Fourth Memorial to the front of Planned Parenthood for a time of prayer.
