Official Statement written by Brent Lambert, Birth Choice Founder and CEO. Released March 30, 2026.
An issue has arisen within certain local churches, denominations, and even within the political landscape of our area that must be addressed. It is both complex and deeply concerning. Given its potential to create division within the Christian community, I believe it is necessary to offer an official statement on behalf of Birth Choice. At the center of this concern is what is commonly referred to as the “abortion abolitionist movement,” a group whose positions differ in significant ways from those traditionally held by individuals who identify as “pro-life”, which includes Birth Choice.
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS:
There are several similarities between pro-lifers and abortion abolitionists. Both groups are made up of conservative Christians who hate abortion. They agree that God’s Word is the ultimate authority, above any human institution. They also affirm that the Gospel is essential to ending abortion—not just reducing it—because true change comes from transformed hearts. Both hold that life begins at conception, that abortion is the taking of human life, and that every life bears God’s image and deserves protection. They believe laws should reflect these truths and extend equal protection to the unborn. Both groups share a deep conviction that abortion is a grave moral wrong and should be ended.
While pro-lifers and abolitionists have very important similarities, there are some very big differences. Some churches in our state have made statements that they are “siding” with the abortion abolitionists’ position. In some cases, denominational leaders have announced they align themselves with that position as well. The rise of the abortion abolitionist movement has created confusion among many Christians, and it’s our hope to help bring some clarity to this issue.
WHAT ABORTION ABOLITIONISTS ARE ADVOCATING
In recent years, this group has actually set itself in opposition to the pro-life movement. They advocate for the immediate and total end of abortion without compromise. This opposition stems largely from the methods used within the pro-life movement. The pro-life approach to ending abortion has multiple components: support for legislation that reduces abortion, influencing court decisions, and pursuing constitutional amendments. The abolitionists consider this to be compromise. Because pregnancy ministries have supported legislation that reduces abortion without pursuing legal charges against women, abolitionists often view us as part of the problem and even “unbiblical” in our position.
The abortion abolitionists argue that women who choose abortion should be prosecuted for murder and receive corresponding prison sentences, including the death penalty when warranted. This is evident in legislation that was recently proposed in our state, and thankfully, failed to pass. They have promised to reintroduce these bills next year, however.
The pro-life movement has never advocated for prosecuting women. Instead, we have focused on supporting laws that hold medical personnel accountable, including doctors, nurses, clinics, abortion providers, and those involved in the distribution and manufacture of abortion pills. I am encouraged that the state representatives in Mississippi have just proposed legislation that targets abortion providers, not women who have had abortions.
Since 1973, there have been numerous legal challenges to Roe v. Wade, some reaching the Supreme Court, and others influencing public opinion at various levels. During those years, organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the National Organization for Women, along with supportive political voices, have often warned the public about what anti-abortion advocates supposedly intend to do. These warnings have included claims about taking away women’s rights—the right to choose, the right to bodily autonomy, and access to reproductive healthcare. Among the most extreme claims was the idea that women who abort would face criminal punishment. At the time, such statements were often dismissed as fear-based rhetoric intended to stir emotion and strengthen opposition. However, what was once viewed as exaggerated claims made by the pro-abortion community has now, at least on one point, surfaced within the abortion abolitionist movement.
WHAT BIRTH CHOICE BELIEVES
Pro-life ministries, like Birth Choice, have always acknowledged that there are two victims of abortion – the baby and the mother – and at Birth Choice we strive to minister to both and love them both. The pro-life movement has always fought against abortion through influencing legislation and politicians, educating Christians through churches, the promotion of adoption, and direct interaction with women who are considering aborting their babies. All of these approaches have been needed to constantly and consistently stand against abortion and its advocates. Birth Choice has always used the gospel of Christ as a foundation for all that we do.
Over the years, whenever Birth Choice has supported legislation limiting abortion, we have done so without excusing abortion in any way. Rather, we have seen such measures as steps in the right direction—opportunities to save lives. As Proverbs 24:11 says, “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.” This is a command we are called to obey even if the solution isn’t absolute. If we have the opportunity to save some children, we will choose to do so even if we cannot save all of them.
The following analogy is taken from a podcast done in June of 2022 by Pastor in Jacksonville, FL and I agree with it wholeheartedly. Imagine you are a Christian living in Nazi Germany during World War II. There is a rule that Jews must be exterminated. One day, there’s a knock at your door. Standing there are three Jewish women in desperate need of shelter before being taken to a concentration camp. They ask for your help. You wouldn’t say, “No, I won’t help, because I can’t save every Jew.” You would recognize the injustice of the system, but in that moment, you would save the ones you could. You would protect the three women, even while acknowledging that the world around you remains unjust. To do less would be to ignore the lives you could actually save.
The overturn of Roe v Wade in 2022 resulted in Tennessee making all abortions at any stage of pregnancy illegal. However, the legal fight is far from over. The challenge before us is clear: we must protect all the lives we can, speak truth to injustice, and continue fighting for justice for all. Turning away from the babies we can save is morally unacceptable, no matter how imperfect the legal landscape may be.
IN CLOSING
I’ll close with a personal admission and a final thought. Almost forty years ago, when I first learned what abortion was, what it did to unborn children, and how often it occurred, I was shocked and dismayed. At that time, if someone had suggested prosecuting women for murder, I likely would have agreed—at least until I came to better understand how Jesus Himself responded to women who were guilty of sin that could produce an unwanted child.
Consider the Samaritan woman at the well, or the woman who washed His feet with her hair, and also the woman thrown at His feet, accused of adultery. In each case, there was no condescension—only conversation. No condemnation—only compassion. He did not defend their sin, but He did defend them. The only people Jesus consistently rebuked were those who saw themselves as morally superior, looking down on others with self-righteous judgment.
That perspective has shaped how I now think about this issue. It is one reason why it makes more sense, in my view, to focus legal accountability on those who provide and distribute abortion drugs rather than on the women themselves. I say this not just in theory, but from personal experience. I was able to order abortion pills online—twice—having them shipped to me in Jackson. In one case, I posed as a sixteen-year-old girl, and in another as a fourteen-year-old. There was no prescription required, no consultation, no telehealth visit—not even a basic online conversation. Would it be more difficult to hold providers, distributors, and manufacturers accountable? Absolutely. There are serious legal and practical challenges involved. Doing what is right is often more difficult, but that alone should not deter us from pursuing it.
Birth Choice has been a light in the darkness for tens of thousands of women in our community for the past 37 years. Many faced unplanned, and often unwanted pregnancies. Many chose life for their unborn children because they heard truth – truth about their babies created in the image of God just as they were. They heard truth – truth about the gospel of Jesus Christ and His forgiveness for sin and salvation to those who believe in Him. And all the while, they were loved with the love of Jesus. Birth Choice pledges to continue serving and loving both unborn children and their mothers. We believe this is the example He gave us.
Serving Christ for life,
Brent Lambert, Founder/CEO
Birth Choice Pregnancy Medical Clinic