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Sunday, January 19th, is Sanctity of Human Life Day. First proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, this day marks a special time to acknowledge the inherent value in every human life – born and unborn. For us at PCC, it is also a time to re-center ourselves around why we are committed to saving lives and strengthening families.  

Ever since the passing of Amendment 3, which implies the possibility of coercing Missouri pregnancy resource centers like PCC to refer for abortion, we’ve been asked, understandably so, what we will do if we find ourselves in that predicament sometime soon.

The short answer: We will gladly die on that hill. 

This scenario is unlikely to come into play since the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on this exact issue in NIFLA v. Becerra in 2018 when the State of California tried to force pregnancy centers to violate their consciences by referring for abortion.

But court case or no court case, let me be clear – PCC’s board, staff, volunteers, and I are unwavering in our commitment to not only defend the lives of the unborn but to honor the humanity of every person that walks through our doors.

January 1st marked the beginning of PCC’s 25th year and, while many things have changed, our shared, fundamental belief that every life matters to God remains the same. And we could never, in good conscience, knowingly say or do anything that would detract from that truth, least of all refer for or perform abortions.

It takes all of us ─ together ─ to create a culture of life, of which PCC is a microcosm. God doesn’t call any of us to all the issues, all the hills, if you will. And he doesn’t even call us to address all the issues within the issue.

God has created and called PCC to be the “boots on the ground” in the pro-life cause. That means we work directly with those women and men navigating unplanned pregnancy. Eyeball to eyeball and heart to heart, willingly entering into their struggle as if it was our own. Because it is. Christ’s compassion compels us to love others as we have been loved, and I can promise you, on that point, we will never waver.

In today’s culture, so many of us are quick to share our passionate opinions with great fervor on every subject, no matter how insignificant.  We die on hills we never should have climbed. Yet we cower in the face of true injustice. It takes courage to challenge the cultural narrative and give voice to the voiceless and vulnerable.

But that’s the hill God has asked us to climb, to stand proudly in support of those who desperately need hope and help. That’s the bold choice each of us has made, come what may.

So, here’s to the next 25 years of saving lives and strengthening families right here in our community! And may God bless you for joining us in this noble mission.

Blessings,

CEO

In this beautifully written, hard-hitting op-ed piece written from her professional perspective as a Board-certified OB-GYN for more than 25 years, PCC’s Medical Director Dr. Kristy McCall sets the record straight about Amendment 3 and Missouri’s current law.

“If there is one word that encapsulates my profession as a board-certified OB-GYN physician, it’s joy.

I’ve practiced medicine in Springfield for over 25 years, and this job and community have given me so much. Having served this long, I’ve seen a lot of joy as families grow—even seeing babies I once delivered, now grown, starting their own families (and, yes, delivering new babies of babies I’ve delivered reminds me I’m not getting any younger, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world).

Of course, there are other emotions that accompany pregnancy, such as trepidation. The anxieties that new parents feel are very real: Will I be a good mom? What if my child has a debilitating disability? What if my baby doesn’t even survive? OB-GYN physicians are equipped to prepare moms for anything, but unfortunately, the unexpected can happen at any moment. But we don’t focus on all the ways a pregnancy can go wrong. We focus on delivering that bundle of joy.

While we make life our top priority, certain activists prey on women’s fears to promote ending lives, and those voices have been amplified here in Missouri.

From doomsday predictions regarding U.S. Supreme Court cases to advocating for an amendment to our state constitution that would open the door to abortion on demand, these activists use fearmongering tactics to spread the wildly untrue accusation that Missouri’s pro-life law puts mothers at death’s door if they experience pregnancy complications. The claim is that doctors’ hands are tied because the law is ambiguous about when they can aid women suffering from a miscarriage or other such medical emergencies.

Having served pregnant women in this state and continuing to do so since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, I can say with all confidence that nothing about Missouri’s law prevents me from making a medical decision regarding the life and health of the mother.

I’ve taken care of women with miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and hemorrhaging and have no fear of personal or professional consequences, nor have I been subjected to any sort of investigation or punishment for doing this. That’s because Missouri’s law allows doctors to use “reasonable medical judgment” to care for women experiencing complications at any time during pregnancy—not just when they are at death’s door as others falsely claim. As defined by state law, an abortion requires the “intent to destroy the life of an embryo or fetus.” A physician’s intent when treating a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, hemorrhage, or other complication is to preserve the life and health of the mother, not to destroy the life of the unborn child.

The fear-based lies used to influence Missouri voters to support Amendment 3 are not surprising. Abortion activists are using similar tactics to criticize Georgia’s pro-life law, insinuating that doctors were unable to act in time to save the life of women who died after taking abortion drugs. The irony, of course, is that the deaths of these women are being used as political propaganda for a policy that opens the door to more death, not less. Aside from the obvious life lost from electively terminating a pregnancy, women’s health and lives are also at risk—the Georgia story being one example among many.

Section 4 of Amendment 3 seeks to eliminate all protections for unborn children until there is a “significant likelihood” of their “sustained survival” outside the womb “without the application of extraordinary medical measures.” Therefore, if a baby may need breathing support (which may be required for babies born before 37 weeks), Amendment 3 could potentially prohibit the general assembly from enacting laws that protect the lives and health of these unborn babies and their mothers.

What’s more, even in the third trimester, babies could still be aborted if a “health care professional” says that an abortion is necessary to preserve the life or health—including the mental health—of the “pregnant person.” This potentially means that any health care professional—not just physicians—could subjectively decide that a woman needs an abortion at any time of the pregnancy for virtually any reason. Abortions are dangerous, and the dangers to a woman’s life, physical health, and mental health increase the longer the baby develops in her womb.

In addition to assisting women experiencing hemorrhaging, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages, I’ve also helped women who experienced botched abortions. I’ve cared for women who went to abortion facilities only to come back with remains left in their uteruses that caused life-threatening infections, and I do everything necessary to save their lives without reservation or judgment. After all, our calling as medical professionals is to do no harm.

It takes a lot for me to speak out on social issues, but seeing the outright lies used to promote Amendment 3 compelled me to do so. As a doctor, I’ve seen the horrific reality of what abortions can do, and I’ve seen how important life-preserving laws like Missouri’s are.

Citizens of the Show Me State deserve to be shown the truth. Missouri’s law protects women and their babies. If a woman is facing pregnancy complications, her doctor has full authority to do what is necessary to preserve her life.

If you’re a woman in Missouri experiencing difficulty and your doctor is saying his/her hands are tied, I recommend you find a new doctor.”

-Dr. Kristy McCall, M.D. FACOG, a board-certified OB-GYN doctor at Ferrell-Duncan Clinic at CoxHealth in Springfield, Missouri

Reprinted, with permission, from The Missouri Times article, Opinion: The Truth about Amendment 3 and Missouri’s Pro-Life Law, published October 29, 2024

In these weeks leading up to the election, you are probably experiencing a constant barrage of negative ads and political flyers filling your inbox. 

I don’t want to add to that noise, but my conscience and PCC’s mission compel me to draw your attention to an item on our Missouri ballot that is actually life or death: Amendment 3, known as “The Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative”. 

Using the deceptive term “reproductive freedom” in its title, this constitutional amendment would transform Missouri from a pro-life state into one of the most radically pro-abortion states in the country.

You can read the entire amendment here, but below are some of its most concerning points:

• It enshrines a “right” to abortion into the state constitution. 
• It legalizes abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. 
• It allows for taxpayer-funded abortion. 
• It removes all parental consent and notification laws. 
• It could require PCC to refer for abortion due to our small amount of state funding. 
• It prevents women from taking legal action if they are harmed during an abortion. 
• It prohibits the state from setting medical and safety standards for abortion.

Our team at PCC is all too familiar with the devastating consequences of abortion for women, men, and babies. And we can only imagine the tragic cumulative effect of unregulated, unrestricted abortion here in our state. 

PCC is not a political organization, so we do not engage with campaigns. But we can advocate for issues aligned with our mission. 

And that’s why we are asking you to encourage your friends, family members, church groups, and neighbors to protect women, men, and their babies by rejecting Amendment 3. 

Our votes carry tremendous weight, and so do our prayers. Please join us in praying that our fellow citizens will choose to embrace a culture of life that recognizes the dignity and sanctity of all Missourians, including the unborn. 

No matter the outcome, we know that God remains on His throne, and that He will continue to guide PCC as we extend compassion, hope, and help to young families in our community.

Thank you for investing in our mission to save lives and strengthen families, and please vote on November 5th. 

Blessings,

Executive Director

Over the last few months, you may have noticed people with clipboards outside stores, the library, and other public places. If you’re lucky, you haven’t been asked to sign their petition for “women’s reproductive rights.” If you’re not-so-lucky (like me), you’ve had many signature collectors ask, yell, and even knock on your door to get you to sign. 

These signature gatherers are working hard on behalf of an initiative petition for a Missouri constitutional amendment that would guarantee a “right” to abortion. You read that right: an amendment to enshrine abortion into the Missouri Constitution. 

This radical amendment would legalize abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, even up to birth. If passed, it would instantly erase years of hard-fought pro-life legislation.  

We still don’t know if the amendment will be on the ballot. The deadline for signature gathering is May 5th, and the Secretary of State’s office will then begin the process of verifying each signature. If the effort is successful in collecting the required 171,592 verified signatures with the correct percentage from each Congressional District, we will see abortion on our ballot in November. 

As the deadline approaches, we will likely see even more petitioners these next few days before time runs out. With this increased presence, I thought it important to pause from our Banquet preparations and let you know what we are doing in light of this amendment: 

First, we are praying. We must be on our knees often, praying that this effort to expand abortion access in our state will be unsuccessful. 

Second, we are declining to sign. In these last few days of signature gathering, please tell your friends and family to decline to sign the petition when asked. If you or someone you know has signed this petition in error and would like to remove your name, please click here and complete the process before the signature gathering deadline of May 5th. 

Third, we are waiting. It will take some time for the Secretary of State’s Office to complete the signature verification process, but we will keep you updated on the status of the amendment as we learn more. 

Even if this effort is successful, and even if abortion becomes widely available once again in Missouri, my promise to you is that PCC will continue providing hope and real solutions to young people facing unplanned pregnancy in our community. 

Thank you for your faithful partnership in furthering PCC’s mission to save lives and strengthen families, and for your commitment to protecting our state’s most vulnerable citizens: the unborn.

Blessings, 

Lisa McIntire, CPA
Executive Director

Today marks the 40th National Sanctity of Human Life Day, as proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan on the 11th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that struck down state laws outlawing abortion. 

Much has changed around the issue of abortion over the past four decades: the Roe decision was reversed in 2022, the introduction of DIY abortions via pills, states across the nation enshrining the “right” to abortion in their state constitutions, and now, efforts to have abortion placed on Missouri’s ballot this year. 

It’s clear our culture is at war, and at PCC, we view our role as “boots on the ground”. We work to save lives and tend to the wounded with the compassion of Christ and the practical help they need to navigate their own battles.   

The word “sanctity” sounds strange to our modern minds, but it is the cornerstone of all we do at PCC. Many of our team members have experienced unplanned pregnancy and been wounded by abortion ourselves, so our compassion is never contrived.  We comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from the Comforter. 

Creating a framework of justice and liberty for all human beings through legislation is essential. But at best, laws modify behavior; they don’t change hearts. Only love can do that. 

That’s why – together – we will continue offering hope and help to young people facing unplanned pregnancy, no matter how the abortion landscape changes. 

Prayer is our most powerful tool in this work. So, this Sanctity of Human Life Month, we invite you to join us in prayer over the following items:

• Pray for a culture of life to sweep across our nation, state, and community. 
• Pray that women and men in our community who are considering abortion will find and contact PCC. 
• Pray for strength and wisdom for PCC’s team of staff and volunteers as they serve clients considering abortion.
• Pray that those who have experienced abortion would find the courage to share their story and seek healing. 

If you would like to get more involved with our mission to save lives and strengthen families, click here.

“I call upon the citizens of this blessed land to gather… in homes and places of worship to give thanks for the gift of life, and to reaffirm our commitment to the dignity of every human being and the sanctity of each human life.”  National Sanctity of Human Life Proclamation, January 13, 1984

This year’s Big Talker Shootout Golf Tournament, sponsored by ESC Consulting Engineers, and hosted by KICK Talk Radio, 99.5 FM KADI, and the Dream Network, was a huge success! The event was held June 8-10, 2023 at the Betty Allison Golf Course and raised an incredible $12,520 for PCC!

Every dollar raised goes to supporting PCC’s mission to save lives and strengthen families in southwest Missouri. Thank you to all who participated in this wonderful event benefitting PCC!

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

On December 1, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case challenging Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act. This law limits abortions after 15 weeks in gestational age, permitting them only in medical emergencies or for severe fetal abnormality.

This case directly challenges the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which prevent states from banning abortion before viability. Depending on the Court’s decision, Roe v. Wade could be overturned, which would give states back the power to regulate abortion – including banning it – according to the wishes of each state’s citizens.

The Court is expected to rule on the case in June 2022.

We pray for a favorable outcome in protecting unborn children and their mothers.  But regardless of the outcome, PCC – like pregnancy resource centers all over the country – will be here providing compassionate care and real choices to women and men facing unplanned pregnancy.

Source: Heartbeat International Pregnancy Help News, Alliance Defending Freedom

FDA Relaxes Abortion Pill Restrictions

The FDA recently relaxed restrictions on the dispensation of the abortion pill, no longer requiring that the drugs be given in person in a medical setting, specifically a clinic, hospital, or medical office. Chemical abortion, also known as medication abortion, is a two-drug regimen legal up to 10 weeks in the U.S. 

Instead, women will have telehealth visits with providers who then prescribe the drugs and send them to the patient through the mail. However, the FDA’s actions do not override prohibitions in states like Missouri where the use of telemedicine to administer medication abortion is illegal.

Source: Heartbeat International Pregnancy Help News

At Pregnancy Care Center (PCC), we work mostly with expectant, first-time dads.  That means we get to see the value in men connecting with their children at the earliest possible moments.  How a man responds to the news that his partner is pregnant and to the ultrasound pictures of his child can set the stage for bonding with the baby after she/he is born.

Moms and kids benefit greatly from having a good dad in their lives.

Fathers may underestimate the positive influence and impact they can have on their children because of their own painful childhood experiences or cultural mixed messages.  But a mom’s support and encouragement can go a long way toward building those bonds between a dad and his son or daughter.

READ MORE

by Lisa McIntire, Executive Director, featured on gooddads.com

January is Sanctity of Human Life month, which, as you can imagine, is particularly meaningful for the PCC community. 

After all, our mission to save lives and strengthen families is deeply rooted in the conviction that every human life has inestimable and inherent value, created by a God of love for a meaningful purpose. 

Sadly, that idea can be a tough sell in today’s world.

For the past five decades or so, our culture has cheapened the value of life in various ways, abortion being chief among them. The pervasive narrative asserts that a person has value only if someone else assigns value to them. 

If a person is not “wanted,” their existence is not warranted.

In other words, people without power or the potential to be “productive” are insignificant. This mentality clearly harms the unborn, but it also devalues the elderly, terminally ill, and developmentally disabled. 

Even still, we live within a cultural dichotomy: We are hardwired to esteem human life and do our part to preserve it, often at great personal and societal cost.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, we saw this play out daily in 2020.  We agree that it is good and right to save lives and do all we can to prevent the loss of human life. 

We have all witnessed – and many of us have experienced firsthand – the heroics of healthcare workers serving courageously and compassionately, undaunted by the personal risks they face.  We have united around the goal of protecting our fellow citizens.  Why?

Because life is precious, and we know it.

In the deepest part of ourselves, even when we try to deny it, we instinctively understand that each person is unique and irreplaceable – a living, breathing bearer of God’s DNA. 

PCC welcomed 450 babies in 2020, so, each day, we get to experience expectant parents’ excitement as their due date draws near. 

They imagine what their baby will look like: Will he have curly hair or blue eyes, or fair skin?  They wonder whether her temperament will be easy-going or intense. 

And they dream about the many ways their child will impact them, their families, and the world. 

We wonder about these things because we do not have any control over them. God alone builds their bodies and packs them with personality and potential before they are ever born.  Then, He entrusts these tiny treasures to our care. 

The entire process is nothing short of a miracle, shrouded in mystery and beauty – even amidst complex circumstances and what feels like terrible timing.

We know this, and yet somehow, as a culture, we have managed to convince ourselves that life is disposable.  We have discounted the wonder of a freshly formed human life – to the detriment of ourselves and our entire society. 

The solution is simple – not easy, but simple:  We need to start from a place of honor for the creative design and mystery inherent in every person – young or old, rich or poor, black or white, born or unborn.

We should be in awe of God’s creation – just like we are when we behold a breathtaking sunset or climb a mountain peak – and treat our fellow human beings like the masterpieces they are.

We can never fully unveil the mystery in another person. So, let’s be humble enough to recognize that God is writing a story with each of our lives. 

In a nutshell, that is what PCC is all about. 

We honor our clients by serving each man, woman and child with compassion and treating them with the dignity God intended.  

We offer hope and practical help from a place of authenticity and empathy, so our clients can value their own lives and find the courage to honor the life that God has created within them.

—Lisa