Nashville, Tenn., March 28, 2024 —The Psalm 139 Project, a pro-life ministry of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, in partnership with Texas Baptists, has donated an ultrasound machine to Legacy Pregnancy Resource Center in Hobbs, New Mexico, a city on the TX/NM border of the country that has become a popular destination for abortion tourism.
A dedication ceremony will be held April 3 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. MDT at Legacy Pregnancy Resource Center located at 301 E Cain St, Hobbs, NM 88240. Representatives from the ERLC, Baptist General Convention of Texas, Baptist Convention of New Mexico, Southeastern Baptist Association and ERLC Trustees will be in attendance.
This placement was made possible because of the generosity of Texas Baptists.
“Texas Baptists are honored and delighted to work with the Psalm 139 Project on this placement,” said Katie Fruge, director for the Center for Cultural Engagement for Texas Baptists. “This partnership represents our shared commitment to grow a culture of life in a post-Roe world as we pray for a day when abortion is unthinkable.”
“Since the historic Dobbs Supreme Court ruling, the reality of abortion tourism has only grown as the abortion industry tries to outmaneuver pro-life states, and certain areas of the country are in dire need of life-saving resources,” said ERLC President Brent Leatherwood. “This is why we rejoice in our partnership with Texas Baptists to place an ultrasound machine through the Psalm 139 Project at a clinic on the New Mexico/Texas border, currently facing these challenges in a tangible way. As Planned Parenthood continues its assault on life, these instances of Baptist cooperation are needed to save lives and serve mothers as we work toward a day when abortion is no more.”
Legacy Pregnancy Resource Center was established in 2012 with the vision of providing help, hope, and healing to all persons facing unplanned pregnancies in and around the communities of Lea County in New Mexico. The center serves its community by providing free and confidential pregnancy tests, peer counseling, options counseling, and the Earn While You Learn Program. The underlying goal is to present Jesus Christ as the only true and eternal hope for clients.
“We are grateful for the cooperative partnership of ERLC’s Psalm 139 Project, Texas Baptists and FBC Hobbs that has greatly enhanced the ministry of Legacy Pregnancy Resource Center,” said Steve Ballew, director of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico. “The capacity to show moms and dads the life of their child will undoubtedly result in a much greater percentage of people making a choice for life. More than that, we look forward to hearing how the follow up counseling results in eternal difference as these same moms and dads commit their lives and families to Jesus Christ.”
The BGCT had been in communication with First Baptist Church of Hobbs about this need as the center worked to transition their resource center into a medical pregnancy care center. FBC Hobbs provided Legacy with a new building, which will serve as a permanent home for Legacy and will allow growth and further expansion of services being offered.
“We are extremely grateful for the ERLC and Texas Baptists who made the placement of this machine possible,” said Janet Waldrop, executive director of Legacy Pregnancy Resource Center. “It will have a huge impact on our ministry by providing a window through which moms and dads can see the life of their unborn child.”
One hundred percent of financial contributions designated to the Psalm 139 Project go toward purchasing ultrasound machines and providing training for workers. No ERLC Cooperative Program resources are used for these machines. Tax-deductible gifts may be made online to The Psalm 139 Project, or via check to ERLC, 901 Commerce Street, Nashville, Tenn., 37203. Learn more at psalm139project.org.
The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest Protestant denomination with more than 13.6 million members and a network of over 47,000 cooperating churches and congregations. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is the SBC’s ethics, religious liberty and public policy agency with offices in Nashville, Tenn., and Washington, D.C.
To request an interview contact Elizabeth Bristow by email at [email protected].
