Celebrating life: Pro-life advocates meet to discuss post-Dobbs strategies

The Rev. Daniel Galchutt, executive director of the LCMS Office of National Mission, gives the opening prayer for the June 21 gala during the Celebrate Life Weekend in Washington, D.C. (LCMS/Frank Kohn)

By Frank Kohn

For years, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) has participated in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., joining tens of thousands to march to the U.S. Supreme Court on the anniversary of its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion in all 50 states. Lutherans stand out, as they do in other marches around the country, by wearing green hats and ball caps provided by LCMS Life Ministry, singing hymns, and confessing their faith in creed and prayer.

The efforts of LCMS Life Ministry have not gone unnoticed by other organizations that have done yeoman’s work in fighting for the protection of life in the womb. One of those organizations, Sidewalk Advocates for Life (SAFL), invited Life Ministry to participate in the first Celebrate Life Weekend June 21–23, also in Washington, D.C., to mark the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, which overturned Roe v. Wade, on June 24, 2022.

The Celebrate Life mission is to “unite pro-life women and men to celebrate, collaborate, and strategize for the protection of preborn children and to make abortion unthinkable in our culture.” Attendees from numerous organizations discussed strategies to protect unborn children. A conference was also offered with breakout sessions on subjects such as empowering women to counter falsehoods about abortion and taking action to save lives.

Deaconess Dr. Tiffany Manor, managing director for Human Care and Ministerial Support for the LCMS Office of National Mission (ONM), presented a session on “Activating ‘Life Disciples’ in Your Church Community.” She discussed how LCMS Life Ministry equips and encourages congregations to educate their members of all ages on God’s design for life, the family and marriage — in the church and home. Manor unpacked the foundation for the LCMS’ educational efforts — the distinction between Law and Gospel, which “are really important concepts when teaching about the sanctity of human life,” she said.

Manor also gave advice on how to engage congregation members in pro-life activity.

“Start with [getting] a group of people together to commit to prayer, to commit to study[ing] the Bible,” Manor said. “As more people become engaged and interested, as everyone has the same understanding of what God says about … His creation of life,  then folks might be more interested in hearing what the congregation can do to get involved, and then to connect with partners in the community.”

Manor noted that communities are different and recommended checking in “with partners, other churches, pregnancy resource centers, physicians, even your local policy makers” to see what the unmet needs are. She suggested asking how women, children and families are underserved in a community and what might be done to address those needs. “Then you can figure out what your congregation can offer your community.”

Also representing the LCMS in D.C. were the Rev. Daniel Galchutt, ONM executive director, and the Rev. James Douthwaite, pastor of St. Athanasius Lutheran Church in nearby Vienna, Va.

Galchutt gave the opening prayer for the gala on Friday evening. The following morning, Douthwaite gave a devotion before attendees headed to the Lincoln Memorial for a rally in 100-degree heat.

In his devotion, Douthwaite encouraged conference attendees dismayed by the efforts in many states to keep abortion legal.

“The Dobbs decision was great. A step in the right direction, but only a step,” he said. “Since then there have been setbacks — states enacting laws and amending their constitutions in ways that do not support life. … All of which is a reminder to us that the right laws and more laws may help, but … the answer is Jesus. The answer is to change hearts.”

“Changing the law is hard,” Douthwaite continued. “It took 50 years to get Dobbs, but hearts are harder still.” Douthwaite referenced Ecclesiastes 3:9 — “What gain has the worker from his toil?” — acknowledging that those who advocate for life “may not see results. You may want to throw up your hands and give up.” Yet, he said pro-lifers’ efforts are never in vain. “As Isaiah reminds us, God’s Word never returns empty, but accomplishes that for which God purposes and succeeds in the thing for which He sends it [Isaiah 55:11]. And that is true for His written word, His spoken word and especially His Word made flesh in Jesus.

“He is still giving life and redeeming life, and so we will continue to celebrate His gift of life and fight to protect it.”

Coming up

LCMS Life Ministry is promoting pro-life events around the country:

2024

Sept. 23: Pennsylvania March for Life in Harrisburg

Sept. 26: New Jersey March for Life in Trenton

2025

Jan. 24: National March for Life in Washington, D.C.

Jan. 25: Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco

Jan. 25: Texas Rally for Life in Austin

Life Ministry is also planning a conference for next spring, with in-person and online options available. Watch for more information to come.

Other opportunities for Lutherans to get educated and become active in pro-life efforts include attending a Lutherans For Life fall conference. Three options are available:

Sept. 14 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bristol, Conn.

Oct. 12 at Hope Lutheran Church in Shawnee, Kan.

Nov. 9 at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winter Garden, Fla.

For more information, visit lutheransforlife.org/conferences.

Posted Aug. 7, 2024