By Laura K. Womble
There is a female syndrome that knows no distinction in class, race or religion. Its symptoms include flashbacks, shame, guilt, nightmares and numbing of emotions.
If left untouched and unhealed, it can lead to anxiety attacks, outbursts of anger or rage, drug and/or alcohol abuse, eating disorders, depression and even suicide. Shame keeps it hidden. Guilt keeps it alive.
This syndrome — Post-Abortion Syndrome — is a very real and painful issue that occurs in the aftermath of an abortion.
Sherry Collie of Montgomery, along with Gloria Roach, felt God’s call to create a ministry for helping post-abortive women.
“We have the vision and mission to help women with healing and freedom through Jesus Christ and His Word,” Collie said.
Offering recovery
Since 2004, their nonprofit ministry, Sisters in Christ, Inc., has taken post-abortive women on a healing journey to peace. “A Journey of Grace,” a Bible study created by Collie and Roach, is used as a roadmap to help post-abortive women understand the aftereffects of abortion and help them to recognize that the symptoms they are experiencing are actually connected to their abortion.
Collie has been leading women through post-abortive Bible studies since 1997. As a post-abortive woman herself, she understands the feelings of guilt and shame from personal experience. She has since come to a new life full of freedom, peace and joy after starting on her own healing journey with Christ. She was called to share with other post-abortive women what God wants to do in their lives.
She believes that when women begin to recognize truth and go through a mourning process that God will bring honor and glory to their child and give meaning and purpose to their lives.
Collie’s pastor, Rick Evans, reviewed “A Journey of Grace” and his church, Dalraida Baptist, Montgomery, in Montgomery Baptist Association is one of the main supporters of the ministry.
“Sisters in Christ is a very worthwhile ministry that grew out of years of counseling for Sav-A-Life,” Evans explained, noting after years of dealing with post-abortive women, Collie “became frustrated with there being no Scripture-based curriculum for leading women to recovery and healing.”
“She worked for years developing a powerful study guide that is being used by many to lead women to faith in Christ and discover forgiveness through salvation,” he said.
In 2004, Collie met Roach when she was going though healing herself in one of Collie’s post-abortion support groups. After the group was over, Roach believed God was calling her to join Collie in her efforts to create a post-abortion ministry available to women anywhere.
As a military wife, Roach has connections with women across the country and around the world with whom she has been able to share Sisters in Christ.
The study has been facilitated in small groups and through teleconferencing. A video version will soon be available on the Internet.
So far, 16 women have completed the program. Women of different ages, races and from all over the country have contacted Sisters in Christ.
Collie said even a post-abortive woman in Germany heard about the ministry and sought peace from her abortion through the group.
Collie facilitates group and one-on-one meetings from her own home. Funding for Sisters in Christ is through donations from individuals and churches.
Volunteers from churches including Dalraida Baptist assist with administrative work and leading groups.
To learn more about Sisters in Christ, visit www.sistersinchristinc.org or call 334-396-9993.
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