OPINION 15 JULY 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition also how we serve - because it is a decision thousands of miles away that is going to affect a person who you work with or live next to, or who's going to find herself in a crisis pregnancy. We're going to need, more than ever, people to volunteer in crisis pregnancy centers, people to be foster or adoptive families, people serving, caring for women in crisis at the very moment of need. Because we all know that Jesus didn't just try to win the argument. He tried to win the heart of a person, and he did that by walking toward the mess and having those conversations and looking people in the eyes and loving them in his day. This is what we're called to do as Christians. We are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth, and so I want to just pray for us that we can be ready for the moment that happens this week at work or on social media - not to win the argument, but to listen and to pray and to win the person to the gospel of Jesus. James R. Welch, Lead Pastor, First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale In 1974 a fifteen-year-old freshman in high school learned she was pregnant. She was afraid and wondered what the future would hold. Upon learning of her pregnancy, some encouraged her to kill the child through an abortive procedure. Thankfully she chose life! Her then-boyfriend and father of the child married her. This year they celebrated 48 years of marriage. The baby is now 47 years old and your Lead Pastor at First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale. I am thankful that Judy Johnson (now Judy Welch) chose life. However, the nation should have never allowed for choice… Today, there is relief among the faithful as Roe has fallen. In 2021 Amy and I marched down BrowardAve with other faithful saints to pray in front of an abortion clinic. Over the years, we have prayed, marched, and advocated for the end of abortion. I think of those who have invested their time, talent, and treasure to see Roe fall. I rejoice with my fellowAmericans and Christians who have sought this miracle moment. I pray this is a NEW day for America. I believe that this ruling is better for us as a nation. I pray for each state as they now have to determine their course in choosing life. The church can play a vital role in this historicmoment. 1. The church must disciple for Biblical Manhood: True manhood demands more of men. Jesus' life embodied true masculinity. It was a life of selflessness and sacrifice. Masculine leadership isn't an opportunity to be served but a calling to serve sacrificially. The church must speak into the fatherless culture of today. Proclaiming a clear view of Biblical Manhood inside and outside of the church will encourage women in the wake of Roe falling. 2. The church must teach abstinence: The Apostle Paul instructed the church, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality." The church must call people to personal holiness, especially in their sexual lives. Sexual purity needs to be taught in churches and championed in culture. 3. The church must minister to women: One in five pregnancies has been ending in abortion. The abortion industry and the progressive left have exploited women and their emotions. The church must rise and care deeply for hurting and marginalized women. We must create or partner with a Woman's Advocacy Center. You, as an individual, can volunteer and financially support one. One local ministry our church partners with and celebrates is Sheridan House. 4. The church must advocate for adoption: The church should be a place for the fatherless, and Christian homes should be shelters for them. The way that Christians are to understands the gospel is through adoption. We have been adopted into Christ and are now sons and daughters of the King. The Bible says that how we receive fatherless children speaks to the gospel. The way the church receives fatherless children will remind us constantly of the gospel that has received us. Consider working with a local foster care or adoption agency. One local ministry our church partners with and celebrates is 4Kids. I hope that abortion will one day be unthinkable in the United States of America. I am thankful for the courageous and reasoned justices that voted to overturn Roe. I am grateful for President George H. W. Bush, President George W. Bush, and President Donald J. Trump and the appointment of Conservative Jurists. Join me today in thanksgiving to God for the monumental decision and day. O’Neal Dozier, Pastor, The Worldwide Christian Center Praise the Lord! Our congregation celebrates the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, that gave women the right to abort their babies. As a lawyer and a pastor, I told our congregation that Roe v. Wade was wrongfully decided by the U. S. Supreme Court in 1973, because the U.S. Supreme Court erroneously stated that the U.S. Constitution recognizes that a woman has a “right of privacy” that gives her the right to decide what she can and cannot do with her body. Such “right of privacy” is not specifically mentioned nor even impliedly mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, but on January 22, 1973, seven of the nine Supreme Court justices erroneously implied that women have a “right of personal privacy,” protected by the first, fourth, fifth, ninth and fourteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution. I further explained to our congregation that based upon Psalm 24:1, 1st Corinthians 6:19-20 and 1st Corinthians 3:16-17 that our bodies belong to God, saved or unsaved. Therefore, it is not her body, nor her choice to abort her baby. Now, in order to curtail future illegal abortions, the church must preach the Gospel of Christ Jesus and witness to the lost souls to win them to Christ Jesus. Tewannah Aman, Executive Director, Broward County Right to Life You’ve heard the news. Together, we are celebrating a major victory for life! The U.S. Supreme Court handed down an historic decision Friday by rejecting Roe v. Wade. Since 1973, over 63,000,000 unborn babies have lost their lives. And countless men and women have suffered after an abortion. I understand. I was one of them. But now, there is no longer a constitutional right to have an abortion. (And, in truth, there never was—as Justice Alito's opinion powerfully shows.) We give God thanks and praise!! This is a glorious step forward in the battle for life. We want to thank President Donald Trump for choosing the three justices who made the right decision. When asked about it, Trump said, “God made the decision. This brings everything back to the states where it has always belonged. This is following the Constitution and giving rights back when they should have been given long ago.” Amen—this is God’s doing and an answer to the prayers of millions for the past 49 years. May He be praised! But our work is not over. There is still much to do. Each state will now act to either protect the unborn or expand laws to end their lives. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is strongly pro-life. We must now call on him and the Florida legislature to protect every unborn child from abortion and do everything possible to help women considering abortion choose life. For all of those who have prayed, worked, cried, stood and sacrificed . . . (it was all of us together, a united front) . . . this is a historic victory that dramatically changes America. We praise God and give Him thanks! Miracles do happen. Thank you for standing with us. Please know that we appreciate each one of you. And please pray as we move forward. Let’s celebrate that ROE V. WADE IS NO LONGER THE LAW OF THE LAND! And yet, let’s also remember that abortion is still legal today in Florida. And for that reason . . . We will continue to stand out in front of abortion facilities and offer help and hope to women. We will continue to work to inform, educate and equip individuals to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. We will minister to those who find themselves struggling with their abortion decision. We will call on our elected leaders to fully protect the most vulnerable among us . . . the unborn. There is much left to do. But what a wonderful victory this is! n
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