‘Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s right’

If anyone knows about abortion, it’s Angela Minter.

The guest speaker quickly had everyone’s attention in Holyoke’s Phillips County Event Center at the Saturday, Jan. 25, banquet that raised funds for A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center.

After falling in love with her high school sweetheart, Minter got pregnant and had an abortion at age 17.

She told herself, “I’m never going to do that again.” But life never goes quite as planned, and Minter had a second abortion at age 18.

This time she said it aloud to her boyfriend, “I’m never going to do that again.”

A third pregnancy while in college almost led to a third abortion, but her dad encouraged her to get married and keep the child.

Minter applauded the work of A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center and the work they do for unborn babies, mothers, fathers and those who have had abortions. When Minter walked through the doors of Planned Parenthood as a teenage girl, they didn’t tell her about any pregnancy resource centers. “And they’re not telling you about the word of God, either,” she said.

Minter said she didn’t remember the abortions or deal with the pain right away. She tucked it away. But having since become a Christian, “God opened my eyes, and I felt the pain again.”

On top of that, later in life, Minter found out there was a reason she never felt like she belonged in her family. Her parents, who already had children, thought they couldn’t afford to have another one. They chose abortion, but Minter survived. “God had a plan and purpose for my life,” she said.

“I’m free now,” she added, noting the importance of letting go of secrets that many people are silently struggling with.

Minter is currently the president and founder of Sisters for Life in Louisville, Kentucky, where she defends the sanctity of life, advocates for mothers in crisis and offers sidewalk counseling for those thinking about abortion.

“When we talk about this, we better be talking about this as a family issue,” she said, noting it’s also about the fathers and everyone else involved in the mothers’ and babies’ lives.

Minter said there have been 61 million babies killed since the legalization of abortion. Yet she urged the crowd to not debate the issue but to listen and speak the truth in love.

She pointed out the likeness between Roe v. Wade and the 1857 Dred Scott case regarding slavery. “Abortion is a crime against humanity. Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s right,” she said.

But just like there were abolitionists who opposed slavery in the 1800s, Minter pointed to the “abolitionists” at the banquet Saturday. “The same God who overturned slavery is the same God who will overturn Roe v. Wade.”

Center celebrates 20 years of birthdays in 2020

Saturday’s banquet was also a chance for A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center, its volunteers and its supporters to celebrate the past year and look ahead to the year to come.

Event chairperson Ellie Beal said a large number of volunteers worked hard to serve a meal to around 240 people.

A birthday party theme recognized that babies who were saved through the work of A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center have been celebrating birthdays since it began 20 years ago.

And following with the “20” theme, executive director Faye Barnhart said it was no coincidence that 20 babies were saved from abortion in 2019.

The nonprofit also helped 84 families and provided 4,266 student classroom hours that impacted 2,250 individual students through public school and church presentations in the region.

The resource center is also happy to now be using a mobile medical unit to offer limited ultrasound to confirm pregnancy, detect the baby’s heartbeat and determine the gestational age. Barnhart was also excited to report that the center’s first medical advisory board met in January.

Other free and confidential things A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center offers are pregnancy tests, prenatal vitamins, options counseling, information on pregnancy, infant clothing, adoption support, after-pregnancy care, healing groups for those grieving the loss of a child through abortion and more.

Barnhart said they are also hoping to broaden the ministry in the Hispanic community as well as develop electronic apps to reach people on their smartphones.

In addition to locations in Brush, Sterling and Yuma, the Holyoke location is open on Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. or by appointment at 246 S. Interocean Ave. A team of volunteers is led by site director Marie Tamasy.

New volunteers, classroom presenters and counselors are always welcome, with trainings offered in February.

For more information, visit www.acaringpregnancy.org or call or text 970-842-4324.