While we await the results of what South Carolina’s elected officials will do in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, it is safe to say that pregnancy centers across the country will be busier than ever.

Working in a pregnancy center can be demanding and exhausting. The average tenure for a director is from two and a half to three years. In contrast to that, Alexia Newman, director of Carolina Pregnancy Center in Spartanburg, is now in her 33rd year as director. She is the longest-serving director of the 26 pregnancy centers in South Carolina.

“A lot of people asked me what we were going to do now (in light of the Roe v. Wade decision) since I would not have a job! But our work is just going to get bigger and busier. We are going to have more opportunities to share the gospel, and we will have more opportunities to work with women and families,” Newman said.

Carolina Pregnancy Center is currently building a new and larger facility to accommodate more and more people. “God is moving on the hearts of people, and they are giving,” she said. “We have raised over $1.3 million without any outside help from a professional fundraiser.”

Sharing the gospel is paramount to all the other things they do in this multi-faceted ministry. They average about 60 professions of faith a year.

“Recently, a woman came by needing a special type of formula. We usually do not stock it because it is so rarely needed. We only had six little bottles, so we gave those to her and told her to come back tomorrow and we would purchase some more for her,” Newman shared. “Then I noticed a woman walking back and forth on the sidewalk in front of our building. I went out and asked her if I could help her.”

It seems the woman had received a large order from Amazon, and this box of formula was in it. She said to Newman, “I thought you might could use it.”

When the box was opened, she was struck by the perfect timing of God: It was the exact formula the mom needed. “I called out to the mom and asked her to come look. ‘See how much God loves you? This is yours. God knew you would need this formula today — before it was bought, packaged, and shipped.’ This was followed by a time of crying, praying, and thanking the Lord. Things like this happen frequently,” she said.

CPC of Spartanburg offers tutoring, counseling, discipleship classes, and other opportunities for these mothers. They have a ministry called “Earn While You Learn,” where moms “can earn Mommy Bucks” by taking courses, and then use the Mommy Bucks to buy things from CPC’s in-house store.

“Our store has everything that a baby would need: cribs, car seats, clothes, diapers, wipes, formula, books, and more. You name, it is in there,” she said.

Carla Jackson Beasley is the new full-time nurse manager and oversees the nurse volunteers who work there. She also travels with the mobile ultrasound unit to various locations across Spartanburg County.

Newman said, “We still have need for more volunteer nurses, especially those who can do ultrasounds.”

When asked how South Carolina Baptists can help one or more of the 26 crisis pregnancy centers across the state, Newman answered, “We all need volunteers, and practical things like diapers, formula, wipes, and clothes. Of course, we all need financial support.”

She shared about a girl who had been coming to them for several years but had not received Christ as Savior. “Sherry (a staff member) presented the gospel to her and asked, ‘Are you ready to make that decision?’ The girl said she was and added, ‘I want to do it right now.’ She got down on her knees without any prompting from Sherry and buried her face in a cushion and just wept over her sin. She was amazed that Jesus would receive her. It was beautiful,” Newman said.

How does she keep herself motivated and energized by such a demanding ministry? “I sit under very good preaching. I have got to be there in God’s Word with the body on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday night. I cannot do this in my own power,” she said.

Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, it is likely that more and more women will need the care and love that crisis pregnancy centers can offer. South Carolina Baptists can give, volunteer, and pray for these vital ministries. They are going to be busier now than ever before helping to save lives and empowering women to follow Christ.