Southern Baptist pastor Mark Dickson believes city governments should be utilized in a grassroots effort to fight abortion rights still protected federally. Which is why he persuaded the Waskom, Texas, city council in June to declare itself a sanctuary city for unborn children.
“For so long people have been going to the state capital and nation’s capital and focusing the efforts there,” Dickson said. “The reality is that these are issues that affect our cities, our local communities and we’ve really all along needed to take things into our own hands.”
Dickson has gained media attention since his initiative began. Waskom adopted an ordinance outlawing abortion within the city of 2,200 people and declared abortion providers and funders to be “criminal organizations.”
The document expressly withholds enforcement “unless and until the Supreme Court overrules Roe v. Wade … and Planned Parenthood v. Casey … and permits states and municipalities to once again enforce abortion prohibitions.”
Moore is not aware of an abortion provider ever offering its services within Waskom. The nearest abortion provider is Hope Medical Group for Women about 20 miles away in Shreveport, Louisiana. Texas has 23 abortion providers, according to abortion tracking sites.
“There’s lots of discussions happening and you’d better believe we’re going to go from city to city and we’re going to do everything we can to help other cities outlaw abortion in their city,” Dickson said.
‘True hope’
The Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity, named in the ordinance as an abortion supporter, responded with two billboards that read “Abortion is Freedom,” displayed along Interstate 20 near Waskom.
Dickson’s congregation, about 45 miles west of Waskom, offers spiritual and practical encouragement to potential clients of Hope clinic. Housing, food, clothing, diapers, transportation and job placement assistance are among services offered, Dickson said.
“I offer true hope, because we all know at an abortion clinic, especially an abortion clinic named Hope Medical Group for Women, they don’t offer hope there,” he said.
“I tell them that abortion is not God’s will for their life, that God has a plan and purpose for them and their child, that they can be a great mother to that child. They’ve just got to trust in the Lord.” (BP)
How to pray:
- Pray Christians across the nation will stand up for the unborn and for the lives and welfare of children in their communities.
- Pray more ministries will rise up to walk alongside and be gospel light to pregnant women considering abortion. (TAB)
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