WASHINGTON (BP) – Thousands of pro-life Americans, including many Southern Baptists, gathered near the U.S. Capitol on Friday (Jan. 24) for the 52nd annual March for Life.
This year’s March for Life, which is understood to be the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration, marks the third time the event has been held since the historic overturning of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which returned abortion legislation to the states.
It was the High Court’s Roe decision, handed down in January 1973, which inspired the first March for Life event, held the following year in 1974.
Since that first march, numerous pro-life Americans (including many evangelical Christians) have come together each January near the Capitol in Washington, D.C., to support the cause and re-affirm their commitment to protect unborn children and care for their mothers.
Among the Southern Baptists gathered at this year’s event were several staff members of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
“It is an honor to be in our nation’s capital for the annual March for Life,” said ERLC Vice President and Chief of Staff Miles Mullin.
“For many years, Southern Baptists have stood on the front lines to promote a culture of life and we wholeheartedly affirm that every life is made in the image of God, including our preborn neighbors. Many of our SBC churches are already working hard in their communities, creating a culture of life where children are welcomed, mothers are cared for, and families are given resources they need to succeed. Here at the ERLC, we will continue to prioritize and advance policies that both protect life and support our churches in those efforts, work that will help usher in a new era in the pro-life movement.”
This year’s March for Life falls just after Sanctity of Life Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention, which was Jan. 19. It was the 40th observance of Sanctity of Life Sunday on the SBC Calendar.
Each year’s event begins with an opening rally featuring numerous speakers before the physical march around the Capitol building. March for Life President Jeanne Mancini welcomed the large crowd.
“Whether this is your first March for Life or you’re are a seasoned veteran … I just really want to honor you and thank you for making history,” she said.
“By being here, you are advocating for the poorest of the poor. You are advocating that social justice begins in the womb. Thank you for standing on the right side of history and for being here.”
This year’s March for Life was Mancini’s last time serving as president of the event. She has served in the position since 2012, overseeing 13 marches, which she called “the honor of a lifetime.”
Mancini expressed her sincere gratitude to the numerous marchers over the years, and introduced this year’s crowd to March for Life President-Elect Jennie Bradley Lichter.
Lichter served during President Trump’s first administration as deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.
In addition to Southern Baptist participants, another notable Southern Baptist was one of the event’s guest speakers.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Southern Baptist and former ERLC trustee, said seeing the crowd of thousands of pro-life Americans gathered in Washington is a great encouragement to him and his fellow congressmen.
Johnson referenced the House’s recent passage of the Born-Alive Act (meant to protect babies who survive failed abortions) during his remarks.
“House and Senate Republicans are committed to protecting innocent life,” he told the crowd. “We will do it.”
Johnson shared some of his personal life story about being the product of an unexpected pregnancy and his teenage parents’ refusal to listen to those who urged them to get an abortion.
“It’s a very simple fact that if they had not done that, then I would not be here,” he said. “I often wonder who else we have missed and what those individuals might have contributed to our society and to our world, but they were just never given the opportunity.”
This was the second straight year Johnson has spoken at the March for Life.
Johnson’s remarks were preceded by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, marking the first time in history that both the speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader have attended and spoken at the event.
Many other politicians attended, including newly inaugurated Vice President J.D. Vance. It was Vance’s first public event since his inauguration on Monday (Jan. 20).
President Trump addressed the crowd via video, where he promised his new administration will continue to stand for families and for life as well as ensure protections for churches, crisis pregnancy centers and other pro-life organizations.
Other speakers at the rally included Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, pro-life advocate Lila Rose and Bethany Hamilton, motivational speaker and subject of the popular film “Soul Surfer.”
After the rally concluded, the marchers began their walk around the Capitol, and among the many Southern Baptists doing so was Kayley Fruendt, a sophomore at Colorado Christian University.
Fruendt, who attended the March for Life for the second time, said although she was raised in a Christian household, she was undereducated about the issue of abortion until her late high school and early college years.
“I felt really convicted that I didn’t know anything about it,” she said. “I really had to face this question and search out what I thought was right.”
While attending Colorado Christian University (CCU), Fruendt would join the pro-life club and begin attending Storyline Church in Arvada.
She explained that her pastor J.T. English is “very outspoken” about the topic of abortion, which has helped her develop her own positions.
“I have a real passion to fight for the unborn and I think there’s a real lack of education on what abortion is, especially in my generation,” Fruendt said.
“They (Storyline) talk about abortion, and it’s not a hush hush issue. It was brought up frequently enough that it was on our minds. Just having a church that talks about it was really important for me, along with their other values that I really love. I would then go back to school and learn how to be self-sacrificial and be like Jesus. CCU’s motto of grace and truth is more than just a slogan; it’s put in action.”
Fruendt mentioned the influence of social media on Gen Z in spreading misinformation about the topic or trying to coerce people into getting an abortion. Someone she knows personally was deeply influenced in this way before getting an abortion, after which she told Fruendt she felt “terrible.”
It was important for Fruendt to travel to Washington for the march because it gives an opportunity to supply some of the education she believes is lacking.
“To March for Life means to fight for principles, especially the principle of justice for both mother and child,” Fruendt said.
“The first thing I would recommend to get involved with the pro-life issue is to pray and seek the Lord. Follow where He leads you and find a community that supports you in your calling from the Lord.”
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