Rachel Wiles serves as events and project manager and as Psalm 139 placement manager at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. The project is making a difference for many crisis pregnancy centers across the country.
The Psalm 139 Project began receiving ultrasound funds in 2001 and placed its first ultrasound machine in 2004. In the past several years, the ERLC has placed a special emphasis on the project, greatly accelerating the flow of donations and the purchase and placement of the ultrasound machines. In 2021, 24 ultrasound machines were placed across the country, with one being placed internationally.
This represents a tremendous leap forward for the success of the ministry. Wiles stressed that “the number of machines placed in the last 12 months is more than the number of machines previously placed within the entire 20-year existence of this life initiative.”
The cost of placing an ultrasound machine is approximately $35,000, with $25,000 going toward the purchase of the machine and $10,000 provided to train an operator. None of the funding for the Psalm 139 Project comes from Cooperative Program giving. The ERLC is able to fund a project of this magnitude because the money comes from donors, both large and small, and from partnerships the ERLC has developed for funding the project.
“We have faithful donors who give a few dollars a month and have done so for years. We have other individuals who can fund multiple machines,” she said. Wiles went on to say groups, such as the Florida Baptist Foundation, have also provided funds to help place machines and provide for the training. One hundred percent of donations given to the Psalm 139 Project goes toward the purchase of life-saving machines and the training of the clinic staff who will operate them.
When asked if the project was making a difference, Wiles said the project “provides a window into the womb for women to see their baby and hopefully decide to choose life. We often receive stories of how the machines placed through the Psalm 139 Project are used to give mothers a greater understanding of the life that’s growing inside of them.”
One success story comes from the Safe Harbor Pregnancy Medical Center. On the morning of the day that they dedicated the ultrasound machine provided by Psalm 139, a single mother of a young son came to Safe Harbor to confirm her pregnancy and receive an ultrasound. She was considering abortion because she felt unprepared, and her boyfriend, a father of three, had made it clear he did not want any more children.
During her ultrasound, she chose not to look at the screen, but things changed when the ultrasound technician informed her that she was further along than expected. The mother turned to look at the screen and was stunned to see her baby moving all around and sucking its thumb. The ultrasound tech turned on the Doppler so the mother could hear her baby’s heart beating. The mother began to weep. Although she was unable to express a final decision for her pregnancy that day, in a follow-up a week later, the staff at Safe Harbor learned she had made a life decision for her child.
According to Lozier Institute, a pro-life research group, in 2019, more than 2,100 pregnancy resource centers provided more than 486,000 ultrasounds at little or no cost. The Psalm 139 Project is helping to provide centers like these with the machines and training they need to help women see and hear the babies that are growing in their womb. When they see and hear the miracle that God is fearfully and wonderfully performing inside them, they overwhelmingly choose life!
If you are interested in receiving an application for an ultrasound machine, send an email to psalm139@erlc.com. To make a donation to help fund the placement of a machine and provide the necessary training, give a one-time or recurring gift to the Psalm 139 Project at psalm139project.com. Remember to pray for your Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission as they continue to transform our culture by standing for life through the Psalm 139 Project.
— Tony Beam is senior director of Church and Community Engagement and Public Affairs at North Greenville University and director of Public Policy for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. He is also a trustee of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.