Southern Baptists affirm that every life is worthy of protection, beginning with the preborn, and is created in the image of God. We believe life begins at conception and that abortion denies precious human lives both personhood and protection. Scripture is clear that every person is made in the image of God—including the preborn (Jer. 1:5; Psa. 139:13). Furthermore, the Baptist Faith and Message affirms that “children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord” and calls us to advocate for the preborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life, from conception to natural death.
Pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) are local nonprofit organizations that promote a culture of life and support mothers faced with an unplanned pregnancy. These PRCs provide a variety of services including pregnancy tests, ultrasound and medical services, abstinence education, and options consulting. Resources such as baby clothes and diapers and wipes are provided for clients as needed, while many PRCs even partner soon-to-be fathers and mothers with experienced mentors.
Many pregnancy resource centers offer ultrasound services to the women they serve at little or no cost. In 2019 alone, close to 486,000 ultrasounds were performed at PRCs. These ultrasounds stand at the forefront of community pro-life efforts, as they help confirm pregnancies, verify the gestational age of the preborn child, and provide a new perspective for women considering abortion.
The ERLC supports pro-life pregnancy resource centers by providing them with much-needed ultrasound machines. Through the Psalm 139 Project, the ERLC has placed more than 50 ultrasound machines in pregnancy resource centers around the world. These machines will advance the pro-life movement to communities in need and will help more women facing unexpected pregnancies choose life.
Following the Dobbs decision, many of these centers have faced growing hostility. In Congress, attempts have been made to hinder the work of these centers and categorize them as proponents of misinformation. In truth, PRCs give vulnerable women the resources they need to choose life and are an invaluable asset to their communities.
The ERLC will continue to support the work of PRCs by pushing back on attempts to weaponize such misinformation and by supporting legislation such as the Pregnancy Center Support Act, which would incentivize donations to these lifesaving organizations.
