NC Baptists and ERLC place 100th ultrasound machine

North Carolina Baptists have been a longtime partner in advocating for the lives of our smallest neighbors, pre-born children. They have generously donated nearly 10% of the ultrasound machines that the ERLC’S Psalm 139 Project has placed in pregnancy resource centers. 

On today’s episode, ERLC President-Elect, Dr. Evan Lenow speaks with Todd Unzicker about this ongoing partnership to save lives. On May 8, North Carolina Baptists joined the ERLC in a milestone dedication by placing the Psalm 139 Project’s 100th ultrasound machine at Mercy House Pregnancy Resource Center in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. 

Episode Transcript: NC Baptists and ERLC place 100th ultrasound machine

Narration:

Welcome to The ERLC Podcast, where our goal is to help you think biblically about today’s cultural issues. I’m Lindsay Nicolet, and today we’re talking to Todd Unzicker, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. 

North Carolina Baptists have been a longtime partner in advocating for the lives of our smallest neighbors, pre-born children. They have generously donated nearly 10% of the ultrasound machines that the ERLC’S Psalm 139 Project has placed in pregnancy resource centers. 

On today’s episode, ERLC President-Elect, Dr. Evan Lenow speaks with Todd Unzicker about this ongoing partnership to save lives. On May 8, North Carolina Baptists joined the ERLC in a milestone dedication by placing the Psalm 139 Project’s 100th ultrasound machine at Mercy House Pregnancy Resource Center in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. 

Todd was elected executive director-treasurer of NC Baptists in May 2021. Before that, Todd served on staff at the Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham from 2012 to 2021. He has also served as a director of missions in Florida and as a missionary in Central America. He and his wife have three children. 

Now, let’s turn to Dr. Lenow’s conversation with Todd Unzicker.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Welcome to The ERLC Podcast. Excited today to have joining us Todd Unzicker with North Carolina Baptists. So welcome to the podcast, Todd.

Todd Unzicker:

Thanks Evan. It’s an honor to be here with you, and welcome to the new role.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Well, thank you. Fill us in real quick on what’s going on in North Carolina Baptist world and what you’re doing real quick before we jump into our podcast.

Todd Unzicker:

Yeah. I serve as the executive director for North Carolina Baptists. We are a movement of churches on mission together. We exist to assist churches in their divinely appointed call on the Great Commission. And so we are excited. We just had our board meeting as this is being recorded, and was really excited to announce that we had 4,000 more baptisms last year than the year before. And so that’s a 26% increase in baptisms year over year, and we are praising God for that. So, we’re seeing a lot of movement here in our state.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

That’s fantastic. I hope all of our state conventions hearing that  can report similar types of numbers. That would be fantastic.

Todd Unzicker:

I hear they’re up across the country. God seems to really be on a move and we are seeing, I think, a real groundswell of a renewed effort to really put reaching the lost, declaring the gospel, demonstrating the gospel, at the forefront of our churches and seeing, of course, the Spirit of God move in His providence in a great way. And it’s the most exciting time, Evan, that I can really remember in being a believer these last 24 years.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Wow, that’s great. And I know sometimes people get hung up on numbers, but when we start talking baptism numbers, we’re talking about new believers. These are new people entering the Kingdom of God. So if there’s a number to get excited about, that’s the type of number to get excited about. 

Todd Unzicker:

And Evan, I don’t get hung up on numbers. God loves numbers because as you pointed out, each one of them represents a story of someone who’s being saved and brought from death to life. And God loves numbers so much, He has a book called Numbers. And then we see in the New Testament, every time he talks about what God is doing in the Church, he talks about how they’ve added them, and he celebrates that. So, I want to make church growth great again. And I believe that it is Jesus’ answered prayer when he prayed, the harvest is plentiful, pray for more workers. And so every one of those 4,000 increase, every one of those that profess new faith, that is a new worker into the field. 

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Well, speaking of numbers, I want to talk to you about a different type of number that North Carolina Baptists have helped us with. So North Carolina Baptists had played a significant role in partnering with the ERLC and the Psalm 139 Project. And in fact, just a few weeks ago, North Carolina Baptists were responsible for helping place the hundredth ultrasound machine through the Psalm 139 Project, and that was funded by North Carolina Baptists. So talk to us a little bit about what that milestone means to you and the churches that you served there in North Carolina. 

Todd Unzicker:

First of all, Psalm 139, an initiative that the ERLC started years ago, I believe 20 years ago if I remember right. And the concept, every life is made in the image of God and we want people to see that image all the way as early as possible. And so Psalm 139 puts ultrasound machines in pregnancy resource centers to help women who maybe find themselves in crisis and families who find themselves in crisis, help them with prenatal care and really seeing that that life matters. And so when I took this role that was just something that, you know, like a hand in glove of who we are as NC Baptists, and we want to serve communities and help churches. 

Most of the pregnancy resource centers here in North Carolina are staffed by people from North Carolina Baptist churches. And so I think this was our 11th one or 12th. So we are really proud that North Carolina Baptists have done about 10% of the total ultrasounds placed. And to have the 100th one is really symbolic. It’s a great milestone to be at, and we hope to do a whole lot more, Evan.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Well, we’re excited about trying to see a hundred more of these be placed. And even as we’re talking, we’re already passed that hundredth, we’ve already seen the 101st and moving towards the 102nd one as well. And so we’re going to see those continue over the course of the summer. What do you think it has meant specifically to the churches of North Carolina Baptist to be a part of the Psalm 139 Project?

Todd Unzicker:

Yeah, this is a way for churches to engage directly. And so one of the four pillars that as the North Carolina Baptist State Convention we talk about is we want to help churches reach the unreached, send missionaries and planters, train up the next generation, and then serve communities and churches. And so this scratches that box. Our churches here in North Carolina, they are staunchly pro-life from the womb to the tomb. And in this case, many of these pregnancy centers are already staffed or volunteers come from the local church. So having an ultrasound really raises visibility and the services provided, which at the same time gives more opportunities for churches and pastors to mobilize folks in their views to go and serve the community. 

I’ve said for years as a politically minded guy, I told you earlier when we were talking that I grew up inside the beltway. I’m a beltway guy, so politics has been in my blood as long as I can remember. The easiest thing in the world is to say you’re pro-life. The easiest thing in the world is to vote pro-life. And that is important and kind of like to me like a 101 level, but to really dive in and get involved with families’ lives, this is where the real work comes. And these pregnancy resource centers, the directors and the staff and the boards and the volunteers there, they’re the real heroes on the frontlines to eradicating abortion in our country.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Well, maybe you can share a story. Is there an interesting story that you can share about the impact one of these ultrasound machines is having at various centers across your state?

Todd Unzicker:

Three come to mind that make me want to tear up, and I’ll definitely do one, maybe a second if I can do it fast enough. The first one we did since I became executive director was out about as far west as you can go in North Carolina and still be in North Carolina, about two hours west of Asheville and a smaller community, rural under-resourced kind of area. And we rolled up for the dedication, you know, we’re going to cut the ribbon and we’re going to pray over the machine and all the pastors are there and everything. And we got delayed from doing that event. They kind of held everybody outside and we said, what’s going on here? And they said, we’re not even open on Fridays. The dedication was on a Friday, we’re not even open on Fridays, but the director and some volunteers got there early to set up for the dedication, and they noticed a young lady was in her car, and they happened to walk by and they saw that she was crying right out front. 

And they went up to her and they said, are you okay? And she said, well, I just found out I was pregnant. And I thought I would come here to see if there was help, but I was now looking on my phone to see if there was an abortion clinic that I could go to. And they were able to invite her inside. And before we even dedicated the machine, before anything had happened, this young lady saw her baby on that brand new ultrasound machine with the partnership of NC Baptists and ERLC, and she chose life for her baby. That baby was adopted by a family in a local church in that area that had been begging God for a child. And this young lady became a follower of Jesus Christ. And that happened all that day at the dedication. There was a second one that sort of similar, went to another dedication at one and someone showed up and wanted to know if they could see their baby to show the boyfriend who was involved. And when he saw that, he said, we’re not going to end the life of this baby, and we’re going to walk together. And both of them became Christians. So I’ve personally witnessed three salvations with two ultrasounds and been a part of that.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Wow. That’s why we do this. That’s why North Carolina Baptists have partnered to do this and it’s saving lives both from a physical standpoint but also from a spiritual standpoint. We see the impact in this world and in eternity through this. Talk to us a little bit about the kinds of partnerships that North Carolina Baptists have developed within the state, whether that’s with pregnancy resource centers, adoption agencies, other ministries that have especially strengthened the overall pro-life work of the convention.

Todd Unzicker:

Yeah. Evan, you know, womb to the tomb in certain circles, people don’t like that. What are the origins of that and all that? I use that phrase to encompass what I believe God says in his Word. And that is, all life is valuable. We are all made in the image of God. We are all made male and female. And so with North Carolina Baptists, we want to assist churches in ministering to the needs at every stage in life with Baptist aging ministries, that final season for people’s lives here on earth. We want those to be fruitful seasons. We want those to be faithful seasons, and we want to provide, so we have ministries there. And then of course all your age group ministries and all of the great work that is done there. And then our partnerships with pregnancy resource centers across the state. Our convention staff is an active member in the network of pregnancy centers here in North Carolina.

And so we want to serve that because that’s what our churches are all about. Baptist churches and churches that partner with us are actively involved in pregnancy resource centers. And it is about, first and foremost, we want to end abortion. We are unapologetic in that. We believe that that is unjust, and we want to see that ended. At the same time is we don’t want to just say that and not demonstrate the love of Jesus. That’s what he did. And so we want to provide prenatal care, we want to provide training for moms that are struggling single mothers, we want to provide resources that can help them do that. And we network all of those partners together and then mobilize our churches to that.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Now, as the executive director for North Carolina Baptists, what strategic guidance would you offer to other state conventions that are seeking to expand their influence and impact in pro-life work?

Todd Unzicker:

I would tell any other state convention right now, and I have told them this, that they should set aside funds, raise funds, put the appeal to churches, and go out and do a minimum of five. You said you wanted a hundred more. There are 40 state conventions, put North Carolina Baptists down easily for five. We are looking for ways that we can expand. This is a practical, easy way to raise the cause of life in our states. And this is what Baptists have always been about, and it’s a win for all.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

And one of the other ways that North Carolina Baptists have been part of this as well, let’s talk about some of the state conventions that don’t have the resources that a state like North Carolina has and you want to help across state lines.

Todd Unzicker:

Yeah, I would say this, North Carolina Baptists, we have a strategic partnership in New York City that started years ago with my predecessor Milton Hollifield, who was an incredible leader. We call it Coats for the City. And we bring up 10,000 coats every December for those in the five boroughs. And part of that was a really close and growing relationship with churches up there. We are praying through, and maybe one of your listeners wants to help make this happen, we want to put one of these ultrasounds in New York City, arguably one of the most strategic abortion-vulnerable cities in America. And we’ve got some locations picked out on that, and we’re working towards that. But you know, one is not enough. I said, let’s do at least one in each of the five boroughs. And so that’s an opportunity to do that. And if there’s somebody in another state, they can email me, [email protected]. And we would love to talk about how we could get one in your state and one in your area. 

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Yeah. And that goes for any of our state conventions and whether they come to you or they can come to the ERLC directly, and we can help partner you with other places that need those ultrasound machines. Because the reality is, there’s certain states in our country that now, in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision, there are no longer any abortion clinics left in those states. But there’s still a need for these pregnancy resource centers because people are now contemplating chemical abortion, but they’re needing some help, and they’re needing to think through what are the implications of this life growing in the womb? And they show up at these pregnancy resource centers just like that young lady did in western North Carolina. And they show up trying to figure out what am I supposed to do? What is happening to me?

They can get an ultrasound and see that this is life. And sometimes when we start thinking about the states that have the resources can help, we might refer to as the Frontier Conventions, the places that aren’t in the Bible Belt who need extra resources. They don’t have the access to the same level of resources that a North Carolina or Alabama or Georgia or Florida state convention might have, but we can work as state conventions. I mean, we’re talking about cooperation. There’s nothing more Baptist than talking about cooperation and cooperate across those state lines to help other states get access to these ultrasound machines.

Todd Unzicker:

Yeah, we say here in North Carolina, we are on mission together. And so if there’s a state executive director that’s listening to this, most of them have my number. I would love to hear from them. We can talk about doing this together. You bring up a great point is whether abortion clinics are in your state or not, families and babies are going to need care after birth as well. And what I love about these pregnancy resource centers is while they are unapologetic in wanting to save babies’ lives, they won’t want to simply just save them from the horror of abortion, but they want to save them so that they can flourish. And every one of these pregnancy resource centers that I’ve ever been to has help for moms of babies and young families and classes and things for dads. And so there are so many ways that people can get plugged into this. And Psalm 139 is, I call it like a 101 step. It’s a great way to do it, and it’s much more affordable than people think.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Well, as you look at the future, what do you hope to see God doing among your churches in North Carolina, particularly related to the issue of life?

Todd Unzicker:

Yeah, it’s a great question, Evan. I mean, you know, I would say keep doing what they’re doing. North Carolina Baptist churches are staunchly pro-life. When we talk about the ballot box or with legislatures, I’m going to be meeting with our state legislature here in two weeks, and we’re going to be talking with our elected officials and those who serve our state about issues and, first and foremost, will be the issue of life. And so get involved. You know, we’re raising our kids to be salt and light in this world. And certainly the political sphere is one of those areas that we need a lot more of that. But I would also encourage them to go and volunteer because a challenge is every one of these pregnancy resource centers needs volunteers. They need moms, they need dads, they need grandparents. 

And then you’ve touched on it, the biggest challenge is how do we tackle the scourge that is chemical abortions? This is an unregulated industry, and this is killing and harming moms, and it is destructive. And we as the church need to come alongside and care for those who have had these abortions and many of them suffering complications, whether emotionally or physically the church needs to be a rescue mission and a rescue house for these moms. And then secondly, what new ways and innovative ways can we get this in front of more people so that we can stop this. And North Carolina Baptists, along with our friends at the ERLC, I know that we’re full steam ahead in doing that. 

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Well, how can our listeners be praying for North Carolina Baptists moving forward as you work in this arena?

Todd Unzicker:

Oh, thanks so much. We say here in North Carolina that prayer is not our last resort, it’s our primary strategy. North Carolina’s the third fastest growing state, and we have a lot of people moving in. And so, I would ask your listeners to pray  what Jesus asked to pray, and that is that the Lord would raise up more laborers for the harvest here in North Carolina. We need more churches planted, we need more churches revitalized, we need more missionaries sent. And whether that’s sent across the pond, across the ocean, or that’s sent across the street at a local pregnancy resource center, we need more laborers.

Dr. Evan Lenow:

Well, thanks Todd. We’re really grateful for you and North Carolina Baptists as the ERLC thinks about the commitment that y’all have made to helping us with the Psalm 139 Project. And we pray for your continued commitment and success in raising money and helping to put these ultrasound machines in these pregnancy resource centers. And we’re grateful for you joining us on podcast today. 

Todd Unzicker:

Thanks Evan. I’m grateful. And the ERLC is a great partner in life and with North Carolina Baptists, and North Carolina Baptists are excited that God has you in this role now, Evan, and we pray Psalm 91, that the Lord would give you the work of your hands and give you great success. And so welcome aboard and we look forward to many fruitful and faithful years together. 

Narration:

North Carolina Baptists are a wonderful example of putting hands and feet to Southern Baptist pro-life convictions. Partnerships with state conventions like North Carolina demonstrate that we truly can do more when we work together. 

We are eager to see how the Lord will use the Psalm 139 Project and state conventions to place a hundred more ultrasound machines and beyond to help abortion-vulnerable women choose life and change families for generations to come. 

Join us next time as we speak with the ERLC’s outgoing interim president, Dr. Gary Hollingsworth.