Jan. 22, 2018 marked the 45th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion through nine months of pregnancy in the United States. This is still the law of the land at the federal level. But at the state level, abortion restrictions vary. Many states, such as Florida, allow abortion through 6 months, which is 24 weeks of pregnancy (well past the age when a baby can survive outside the womb).

In recent years, the Orlando RP congregation has felt a particular call to become more involved in fighting against abortion in their city. When most people think of Orlando, they think of a wonderful vacation destination. But Orlando (and all of Florida) is also an abortion destination. The relatively lax restriction on abortion draws abortion-minded women and men from nearby states such as Georgia and South Carolina, where laws are more restrictive. The Orlando area alone averages over 14,000 abortions each year, and the state sees 24 percent of all pregnancies end in abortion.

The congregation has long supported a Christian ministry called True Life Choice, which about five years ago changed its name to Choices Women’s Clinic. Choices is a full-service medical pregnancy center seeking to equip women and families in unplanned pregnancies to make healthy, life-affirming choices for themselves and their unborn child. Choices not only provides free medical services such as pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and STI testing, but also offers compassionate support and the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each year, Choices holds a fundraiser walk called the Walk for Life. Churches and other organizations in Orlando form teams that compete to raise the most money for Choices. These teams are made up of sponsored walkers (i.e., walkers who have asked friends, family and businesses to sponsor their walk). The Orlando RP congregation has participated in the Walk for Life for quite a few years as part of their fight for life.

On the morning of Saturday, Apr. 28, the congregation’s team of 16 sponsored walkers gathered at Orlando’s Blue Jacket Park with their families and hundreds of other walkers from around Orlando. They heard testimony of the work God is doing at Choices to transform hearts and minds, and prayed together with fellow believers for the city of Orlando and the ongoing work of Choices. They then hit the sidewalks to walk a two-mile route in the 2018 Walk for Life. In doing so, the congregation raised over $4,000 for Choices and took the #10 spot of top churches to raise money in the 2018 Walk. Overall, the Walk raised over $150,000 for Choices Women’s Clinic, which was a record-breaking year for the ministry.