BIRMINGHAM, Feb. 24th, 2020 — On Tuesday, February 25th, at 6:30 PM, pro-life citizens, pastors and leaders will gather for the 24th prayer campaign with 40 Days for Life. Leaders and Speakers include: Fr. Terry Gensemer, CEC For Life; Mary Ann Vann, 40 Days for Life; Natalie & Matthew Brumfield, Bound4Life Birmingham; Joy Pinto, Her Choice Birmingham; Rev. Justin Wallick, Christ Church Branch Cove; Katie Trundt, Life on Wheels Iron City.
40 Days for Life Birmingham holds two campaigns a year, making this the twelfth year running. In that time, the pro-life community has seen hundreds of babies saved, which means hundreds of pregnant mothers assisted, and all but one abortion clinic in the city closed for good.
Planned Parenthood Birmingham, the last clinic standing, has been unable to perform abortions for over two years, making Birmingham one of the largest metropolitan areas in the nation without an operating abortion clinic. The abortion giant has been building a new facility downtown, claiming all throughout 2019 that it would open by the end of the year. That has not happened, and pro-life leaders and citizens are praying that it never does.
“The city of Birmingham does not need Planned Parenthood,” Fr. Terry Gensemer of CEC For Life says. “While Planned Parenthood Southeast has been trying to replace their failing business in Birmingham and funnel money into our state politics, wonderful, life-affirming pregnancy centers have been helping thousands of women in desperate situations find the resources they need to choose life for themselves and their child. They do this at no cost to the mother, sticking with her through the whole pregnancy and even after.
“Without the daily violence of abortion perpetrated by Planned Parenthood, our city is currently a beautiful refuge for children in the womb, their mothers and their fathers, and we are working hard to keep cultivating that through prayer, outreach, and the love of Christ.”
The 40 Days for Life campaign runs for forty consecutive days with a call to prayer, fasting and outreach throughout. Local coordinators report they have seen over 500 babies saved just by citizens making themselves available on the sidewalk outside of the current Planned Parenthood.
“Not every women coming in stops to talk with us,” says Mary Ann Vann, local coordinator and dedicated sidewalk counselor. “But if they do, we are able to offer a listening ear and better healthcare solutions, even if it’s just for STD testing. We are here to make sure every Alabama woman who finds herself at the doors of Planned Parenthood knows she has more options than she might think, and at better centers where people will genuinely care for her. No Alabama citizen needs Planned Parenthood. Even if they succeed in opening a new facility, they will still be the same badly run business.”
Besides the upcoming prayer campaign, pro-Life groups like CEC For Life, 40 Days for Life, Blazers for Life (UAB), Bound4Life Birmingham and many others have been running the grassroots #WeSayNo campaign. The campaign started even before Planned Parenthood broke ground on the new property and is aimed at exposing the abortion giant’s terrible history in Birmingham and stopping it from opening a new facility.
#WeSayNo events have energized citizens and organized local pastors to stand for life and challenge state and city officials to protect all citizens, including the preborn. Last year, over 100 local pastors signed the Birmingham Proclamation, an ecumenical statement that opposes abortion and upholds the sanctity of life in the city of Birmingham. The grassroots campaign has also seen companies and workers quit their contracts or refuse to work with Planned Parenthood once they became aware that it would be a surgical abortion center.
“The people of Alabama do not support Planned Parenthood,” Fr. Gensemer adds. “In 2018, citizens passed Amendment 2 with overwhelming support, adding language to our constitution that protects the preborn. Directly after, our legislature went on to pass one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. We are a pro-life state and we want to see women and children supported and empowered by affirming all life, not just those Planned Parenthood deems worthy.”
Last month, the pro-life community also celebrated the arrival of a new mobile ultrasound unit with Life on Wheels Alabama. This unit will bring free ultrasounds to women who may not be able to afford one otherwise. Life on Wheels will also be parked outside of Planned Parenthood on a regular basis, offering compassionate counseling and free services.
The Spring 40 Days for Life Candlelight Kickoff will be held tomorrow, February 25th at 6:30 PM on the sidewalk directly in front of Planned Parenthood (1211 27th PL S, Birmingham AL).