In the last 50 years, the pro-life movement has grown in the United States. Data shows there are 2,700 pro-life pregnancy centers across America (lozierinstitute.org). These centers go by names such as Birth Choice, Sav-A-Life and others, but they have the same purpose. They all seek to help women who are experiencing unplanned pregnancies to choose life by introducing them to their precious babies in the womb.
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Brent Lambert had a dream to start Birth Choice in 1989 in Jackson, Tennessee, in West Tennessee. Located on the campus of Woodland Baptist Church in Jackson in Madison County, the center relies on volunteers from local congregations. Woodland Baptist owns the property, and Birth Choice rents the space for $1 per year.
Birth Choice is a Christian, pro-life, nonprofit pregnancy medical clinic. The mission of Birth Choice is to extend Christlike love in a compassionate and responsive manner that values the family, empowers women and their partners to choose life and offers hope and healing to each person in the adoption triad. All services are free and confidential.
Made in the image of God
Most women choose life for their babies after visiting one of the clinics. When they “meet” their unborn babies for the first time and hear the heartbeat, they see that their children are made in the image of God and therefore choose life.
Last year the Jackson center saw 1,111 clients. Of these, 105 changed their minds and chose life. Because one woman was expecting twins, this means that 106 babies were saved.
Adoption is an option through Birth Choice for women who cannot keep their babies but choose life. Adoptive parents must be a married biological male and a biological female. A couple wishing to adopt must undergo a thorough background check from various agencies, be active members of a local church and provide references from the church as well as family and community leaders.
The birth mother, the baby and the adoptive parents form a triad. All adoptions will be from “openness” to “fully open.”
Birth Choice is supported by area churches and volunteers. The Lord provides for Birth Choice’s needs through both people and resources. (See Phil. 4:19.)
Growth and news
— The staff has increased to 13 paid employees. Volunteers do not receive a salary, but this is a ministry they choose.
— The ministry relies on donations since they are not funded through any government agency.
— Birth Choice is an option for students who need community service hours for scholarships.
— Walk-for-Life is an annual fundraiser that supports the expenses of Birth Choice. Walkers ask family and friends to become sponsors. The latest event raised $87,821 to fund this ministry.
— The ministry holds an annual event in which churches are given empty baby bottles to fill with coins or cash. This goes to support the expenses of Birth Choice.
—They have annual Christmas card sales.
— They also have meat sales that include ribs and chicken cooked on an outdoor grill.
— Mobile clinics provide free pregnancy testing and ultrasounds in nearby counties. Matching donations helped purchase the vans.
— Parenting and childbirth classes use Scripture to teach God’s plan for families.
— Clients earn “mommy money” by attending parenting and childbirth classes. They earn credits that can be spent on baby clothes, diapers, formula, baby beds, car seats and much more.
— The baby’s father can also attend parenting classes and earn “daddy money” to spend on items in the boutique. Through the fatherhood program, fathers learn family responsibility, how to embrace fatherhood and how to become authentic and godly men.
— Many of the women do not have insurance. Enrolling in the state’s Medicaid program may take several weeks, and early pregnancy care is vital. A nurse practitioner provides early prenatal care until the client can be transferred to a partnering clinic.
— A free program presented to middle and high school students is a fact-based sexual purity program that is provided to schools and church youth groups. This has a spiritual emphasis.
— This year, Birth Choice became a licensed adoption agency to place infants up to 1 year old within the state of Tennessee. They are the sixth in the nation to offer this option. This is the only adoption agency between Memphis and Nashville.
How to help
There are many ways you can serve in this ministry. First, pray. Regardless of where you live, God hears your prayer. If you live near a center, become a client advocate, teacher or medical team member. Volunteer in an office. Drive one of the mobile clinics. Collect and organize donated items. Participate in fundraisers to support the center.
“Our church has been a big supporter of Birth Choice,” said Randall Kellough, pastor of Woodland Baptist Church in Brownsville. “Our congregation has an opportunity to help women at their lowest time in life — women who need Christ — when they may not receive this from the rest of the world. This should be part of our culture as a witness for pro-life.”
