The Gospel is the Answer to Abortion
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you” (Ps. 89:14).
Originally, this article had no title. It wasn’t given a title in remembrance of all the children who were never named, never seen, and never loved by Christ’s church. Their lives were left blank because they never lived them. They could not speak. They never had a voice. They never took a breath on this earth. And those who could speak, those who did have a voice, those who did have breath in their lungs sat at home and watched politicians argue about abortion; meanwhile, a woman sat in the office waiting for her child to be killed. We never knew these children and never interposed ourselves on their behalf.
Who are these nameless children? They are the unborn. Their lives were ruthlessly snuffed out in the womb in the name of choice or “women’s health care.”
Who are these silent and rebellious people who do too little to stop this madness? They are us. They are the church apathetic.
Who is this God? The giver and sustainer of life. He is a God of justice. But He is also a God of mercy and grace. He is a consuming fire, a wrathful judge. But He is also a Father to the fatherless and a protector of widows (Ps. 68:5-6).
THE LOCAL PROBLEM
According to the Department of Health and Environmental Control, in 2023 alone, there were more than 8,000 abortions in South Carolina. That is in only one year. And the majority are performed by the “doctors” at 1142 Grove Road.
TWO PLACES
There’s an old wooden sign on 1142 Grove Road that says, “Greenville Women’s Clinic.” Hanging on a pine tree reads a sign that says, “Honk for choice!” At the top of the driveway stands a woman with a colorful vest holding a colorful umbrella. She has a megaphone, and the back of her vest reads, “clinic escort.” A couple of women stand out front on the driveway with goodie bags that read, “free gift” for cars that pull in. They hope to deter women from killing their child. The clinic escort takes videos with her phone and mocks them.
According to Greenville Women’s Clinic’s website, they believe that “every woman deserves a healthcare provider she can trust to provide warm, compassionate, high-quality care at every visit.” But what they really do is take and kill. Healthcare it is not.
“This place only exists to take their child and their money,” said Kiley Waldrop, city director of Love Life Greenville. He said, “This place isn’t going to give you anything.”
Members of Crossover Community Church, Anderson, and Love Life pray across the street from Greenville Women’s Clinic.
Directly across the street from the Greenville Women’s Clinic is Piedmont Women’s Center, located at 1143 Grove Road. They are a nonprofit organization run by Christians that seeks to offer mercy to those in need.
Tami Howell, chief executive officer of Piedmont Women’s Center, said, “Our physical location across from the abortion clinic enables us to provide a nonconfrontational, compassionate care method of reaching the women seeking abortions.”
Unlike the abortion facility that takes, Piedmont Women’s Center gives. Howell said, “Our services are free to anybody who comes in our door.” Howell said they offer pregnancy testing, limited OB ultrasounds, STI and STD testing and treatment, pap smears, and breast exams.
“They’re all free. We don’t charge. And the community makes that possible. Our churches make that possible,” said Howell.
But more than free healthcare, they share with their patients the greatest gift of all time: salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4-7; Rom. 3:23–26). Howell said they share the gospel with their patients every time. “That’s why we’re here,” she said.
Howell said she considers Piedmont Women’s Center to be a ministry of mercy, whereas she considers the majority of pro-lifers defending life outside of the clinic to be ministries of justice.
There is one place where justice and mercy meet perfectly, but more on that later.
More than two different places that oppose each other, there are two different kingdoms waging war. From Monday through Friday, the “clinic” is open. Pro-lifers rejoiced that the facility recently closed its doors on Saturdays, reducing the number of lives taken. Throughout the week, organizations such as 40 Days for Life, Pastors for Life, Sidewalk Advocates, and Love Life meet outside the death facility to pray, preach the Word, share the gospel, and encourage women to choose life over death.
Several signs are scattered outside the clinic, displaying messages for and against abortion.
In the past couple of years, pro-lifers have faced opposition from “clinic escorts” and other death advocates outside the facility. Extreme profanity, inappropriate signs, yelling through megaphones, and even physical assault have been present near 1142 Grove Road.
Carrie Gifford, Greenville County Republican Party Pro-Life Committee chair, said, “The aggressive attacks by pro-abortion protestors on various groups of pro-life ministers who pray and legally offer hope and help to customers via words, gifts and literature has been devastating to these ministries in more ways than one. Many pro-lifers fear for their safety and have discontinued coming out to this mission field.”
Mark Wills, a member of Rocky Creek Baptist Church and leader of Pastors for Life, called abortion a satanic stronghold. He referenced 2 Corinthians 10:1–5. Verses 3–5 read as follows:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
The government is either influenced by God or by the lies of Satan. Wills said, “Influence in any government comes from the top or it comes from the bottom.” The root of the problem is false worship. Waldrop said, “This is an act of worship on both sides.”
“This isn’t a new issue,” Waldrop continued.“There’s nothing new under the sun, the Word of God says. This is a kingdom of darkness issue, and it’s been happening forever. Now we have nice buildings and shiny instruments, and we give it a nice, cute name, but it’s the same thing.”
Waldrop explained that if you look at the Old Testament Scriptures, the pagan nations worshiped their false gods, and it would end in sacrificing their sons to them. He added, “Israel didn’t get a pass there.” In Psalm 106, Israel mixed with the nations and sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
But as Scripture says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
ONE SAVIOR, ONE GOSPEL, ONE VICTORIOUS CHURCH
Kiley Waldrop, holding microphone, is taunted by clinic escorts with loud noises as he prays. “When you engage this, when you see it, like when you’re there, the facade that this is a public policy disagreement goes right out the window. It’s so clearly demonic. It’s so clearly an issue of darkness and light that
you have to engage it if you’re a Spirit-indwelt believer,” said Waldrop.
The opposition is real. As stated in a resolution presented by councilman Stan Tzouvelekas, “The sheriff’s office has reported that it has responded to the business on more than 300 occasions, resulting in approximately 20 arrests.” But what is the solution?
Tzouvelekas argued that according to Greenville County Ordinance No. 4277 (Section 21-1 through 21-11 in the Greenville County Code of Ordinances), the Department of General Services has the right to revoke a business license when that business “constitutes a public nuisance, where there are frequent arrests of persons for, among other things, excessive noise, disorderly conduct, disturbance of the peace, and the illegal acts that correspond with or relate to the hours of operation of the business.”
Tzouvelekas tried to get the Greenville Women’s Clinic’s business license removed, due to its disturbance to the community, but the resolution was never signed, and the abortion crisis continues.
Though laws can help, they cannot save. “No law is going to save people from brokenness, but it’s to regulate brokenness,” said Victoria Azurdia, a political science and intercultural studies student at North Greenville University.
Who can save?
“What I’ve really come to see is that the gospel is the only way, the only means to ending this,” Waldrop said. “We are too far gone for somebody with Republican by their name to save us.”
There’s now a Republican supermajority in both the state House and Senate, and Waldrop said for years he would sit with legislators and ask why they allowed the murder of children in South Carolina. They would give the excuse of Roe v. Wade. Now that it’s been overturned, the law still hasn’t changed.
Waldrop’s heart behind pro-life ministry reaches deeper than even the act of saving a child. He said, “Our real goal is not really saving babies … we’re a gospel ministry. We seek to press the gospel into this issue. And, of course, when the gospel is preached, hearts are changed, and babies are saved.”
On the surface, there are two opposing political parties, but the real issue has always been a spiritual one.
Waldrop said, “It’s not Republican versus Democrat, it’s not a public policy issue. This is the gospel, and the only entity that has that is the church,” said Waldrop. “It’s the church that’s been given victory in this issue.
“Jesus says the church is the one that the gates of hell aren’t going to withstand. It’s not the Republican party or even pro-life organizations, but it’s the church of Jesus Christ.”
THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER
So, where do both justice and mercy meet perfectly? Both are perfectly demonstrated by Jesus on the cross. May the love of Christ in the gospel be the driving force behind all that we do as we seek to address abortion.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).