Pastor J. D. Greear Explains Why
Since 1973, over 60 million children’s lives have been stolen by abortion in the United States! This year, Sanctity of Human Life Sunday will be observed on January 20th, and it is the perfect opportunity for pastors to speak up about the importance of ending abortion.
Pastor J.D. Greear
While speaking up for the preborn can put pastors in a difficult situation, it is imperative that they do so. As the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina, J. D. Greear explains, “It is easy to rage about what the news media says we should rage about. … But when you… say, ‘Here’s an issue none of you are mad about, but it’s wrong.’ I mean, in one sense… our society is trying to win this argument by marginalizing it and toning down the moral implications. There are two ways you can win the argument, right? One is you can win the argument, and two is you can not have the discussion … And right now, I feel a lot of societal pressure to just not have the discussion.”
THE NEED FOR DISCUSSION
So why is it so important for pastors to have the discussion about abortion? Because it is a priority cause and an inherent part of the Gospel commission. “You have to care for the vulnerable,” said Pastor Greear. Even though Greear received hate mail after speaking on abortion, he feels the need to encourage pastors to not be fearful about speaking the truth in love. By speaking up for the preborn child, lives are changed, and children are rescued from death.
THE GOSPEL REQUIRES WE TAKE CARE OF THE VULNERABLE
The Gospel tells us to take care of the vulnerable. It doesn’t say to do so only when it is convenient, culturally acceptable or newsworthy. Taking care of the vulnerable means we get involved and speak the truth in love. We have the hard conversations with friends and loved ones about abortion. We volunteer to mentor young women and men who are in crisis. We participate in programs like 4000 steps, raising awareness and donating funds to pro-life organizations.
Pastor J. D. Greear explains it this way,
“If the Gospel means we have to take care of the vulnerable, that means the vulnerable everybody cares about and the vulnerable nobody cares about.”
PASTOR GREEAR EXPERIENCES A LIFE CHANGED
Pastors specifically can use their influence and voices to speak up on the issue of abortion and why it is wrong. To end abortion, it must become a priority cause. When pastors begin to speak up about abortion and the rights of the preborn child, more women and men will hear why they need to choose life. Changing lives and opinions happens one person at a time. As one person decides to choose life, one more vulnerable child is rescued from death. Pastor Greear experienced this first hand. He prayed on Sanctity of Life Sunday for anyone considering abortion to instead choose life. A young woman who had been considering abortion and was already moving towards choosing life, heard the prayer. She felt it was confirmation from God that she should choose life. Pastor Greear was unaware of her decision. However, on the day of this interview he was able to meet this child whose life he impacted while still in the womb.
Greear explains that it isn’t always easy to speak up about an issue (like abortion) when others might feel and think it is perfectly fine.
However, just because society may allow something, does not mean that it is acceptable or should be allowable. God values all human life. He desires to use us to restore value to human life. He also desires to redeem lives broken due to past pain and sin. Greear compares how at one-time slavery was considered justifiable and allowable by society’s standards, even though it was terribly wrong. Likewise, one day we will look at abortion in the same way we do slavery now.
Greear continues, “I know the illustrations of slavery can be overused… but… in 1871, if I pastored a church in Charleston, South Carolina, and I said, ‘Well, I don’t really want to talk about the issue [of slavery] because it will cut me off. It will cut off my audience.’ But if you looked back now, you would say, ‘What a coward. You privately believed slavery was wrong, but you didn’t want to lose all the lost people?’ So, I could say, ‘Well, nobody cared about black people as people back then. They thought of them as property.’ Well today, the unborn, the preborn, are not thought of as people. They are thought of as embryos, as a pregnancy problem. And it’s my job to say no to people.”
THOSE SUFFERING NEED ENCOURAGEMENT AND HEALING
Pastors also need to speak about abortion from the pulpit, because there are those in the congregation who personally have experienced abortion. They may be feeling ashamed, or guilty and they need to know that there is forgiveness and healing. Greear feels it is possible to address the moral wrongness of abortion while still offering hope to those who are lost in the pain of their past decisions. 
“Moms and dads [who have experienced abortion] in some sense, they’re suffering. You know, a lot of times you’ve got people that are sinners and sufferers at the same time, and you know they’re both simultaneously; but sometimes you lead with one [aspect] instead of the other. And so, you try to address both the sinfulness and the suffering aspect of abortion, and that’s usually what guides our prayer time… that’s a staple in our church and will happen every year.”
WE NEED HELP FROM ONE ANOTHER
Abortion is a difficult subject to address, but it can be done. As Greear points out, “One of the clearest times… [I spoke on abortion], I was in the book of Judges. I was going through… what happened at the end of Judges when society’s hearts had gotten so hard. You saw how they commoditized a certain group of people. I just took a few minutes to talk about how we do that [with] immigrants and historically [with] minorities, and how [abortion is] the ultimate commoditization of… not being treated as an individual.”
WHAT WILL GENERATIONS SAY YEARS FROM NOW?
We look back now and recoil at the idea of slavery. We think how cruel and wrong it was. Clearly, we know that it never should have happened. I can’t help but think that future generations will do the same thing regarding abortion. Therefore, how can we not speak out against the gravest of acts exacted against the most vulnerable of all? Like Pastor Greear experienced, you never know who could be impacted by your words and prayers to choose life. As Pastor Greear met and held the life he impacted, it was clear to all in the room, that a person was rescued, and value was restored to this little one.
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
(1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT)
If preachers/pastors are not preaching against the murder of His unborn children, then aren’t they “of this world” rather than walking in God’s word? It is very frustrating for me, as a Christian who had two abortions over 30 years ago as a non-Christian and have repented since, to talk… Read more »
I agree and they should be talking about our responsibility to be good stewards of all of God’s creatures especially those in the food industry. We will be held accountable someday (Heb. 4:13) and we were created to have a plant-based diet until people started eating animals. Factory farming is… Read more »
Oh my, Janice! I thought we were talking about abortion. People, not animals. Abortion is the sin to top the list of sins. Don’t you think? How did animals even come to mind?
finally… currently among all the christian churches, only the Catholic Church has been firmly standing against abortion from the very beginning despite all the criticism and/or non support with fellow christian churches.
Mikey; To a “slim” degree you are right but the U. S. Council of Bishops have been weak in addressing this abomination. At the parish level very little is being said about abortion. The entire Church’s silence from the pulpit and in particular its failure to reach out in love… Read more »
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE 503c3 EFFECTIVELY MUZZLES PASTOR AND THEIR CONGREGATIONS IN THAT THE LOSS OF TAX EXEMPTION IS A REAL POTENTIAL AND MONEY IS CONSIDERED THE LIFEBLOOD FOR CHURCHES NOW.
Not really. The Johnson Amendment basically says pastors can’t directly endorse specific candidates from the pulpit. But a pastor or priest can talk about anything else they want to politically from the pulpit or elsewhere. And there are groups of pastors that preach very direct sermons and send them to… Read more »
Brian; You are absolutely correct. The 501.c3 is nothing but a canard that the church uses as an excuse to keep silent. This has has only led to a weakening of the Gospel resulting in the chaos we find in the church today.
That is true Also I believe we have come to the point that we should fear God more than “the tax empt status of church”. More Christians need to be willing to go to jail. ESP pastors.
And what about non-profit organizations who receive government funding? Are they allowed to use the word “Christ” in the counseling room with a woman making a Life decision?
The Pastors,church groups,churches,woman’s faith groups,church youth etc need to STOP supporting Pro-Abortion businesses like Starbucks,Girl Scouts etc I know way too many Pastors and their wives,Pastors sons and daughters,church elders,and members who gather at these places, purchase the merchandise to Vogue,buy the products,have their children take up work there and… Read more »
So true. Several of us talked about this need yesterday during the March for Life in Washington. We all believe that abortion is wrong, but we know that the media and many people do not believe this. We are losing our cause if we fail to speak the truth in… Read more »
Sister Jane – I was there at the March as well! Thanks for showing your support.
I was at one March for Life. We also need to have support groups for those who had abortions and teach about forgiveness.
No doubt. We provide post-abortive healing and counseling at many of our clinics and believe it is a necessary, graceful aspect of revival and ending abortion.
Janice; You are absolutely correct. The post abortive woman has been ignored by the church and its silence has contributed even more to her shame, regret, sorrow, and helplessness. We have to reach out to her in love and remind her she is forgiven by Christ as soon as she… Read more »
I agree that abortion is murder and wonder why the so called Preachers aren’t teaching that according to the great creator life begins at conception. I’m not a preacher and I do tell people Abortion Is Murder!!!!!!! WHY AREN’T YOU ALL TEACHING YOUR CONGREGATIONS THAT GREAT CREATOR IS GOING TO… Read more »
No surprise that so many pastors will not speak out against abortion. 1> They have sold themselves and their congregations to the government via the 501-3-C. (It’s all about keeping the money they extract from their parishioners.) 2> It’s also about not offending anyone within their congregations. If they speak… Read more »
What happened to the Johnson amendment? Did trump cancel it or not?
Still around. He wants to but can’t arbitrarily do it. Congress would have to repeal it.
what is it?
Thank you for this email. I agree we need to speak our against abortion. One way to do this is to campaign against Pro Choice ( Pro Death) legislators as we did in our state this last election. That person is no longer in congress. Every chance I get I… Read more »
Thank you. I pray that my son’s church will read this a speak on abortion.
Debra – I join you in that prayer!
Very good article. I’ve been out of church for awhile now, so I’m not sure what churches are or will be preaching on abortion. Completely agree pastors should be preaching from the pulpit about abortion. I hope if I go on Sunday I will hear that message. Thank you
Thank you for that message. I too believe the Pastors should talk more on this subject so women understand that they are carrying a living being. Thank you.
Good that Greear is so much better on the abortion than how to attract unbelievers to church by very questionable methods!!! maybe someday he will have a full-orbed Christian worldview of the Gospel and repentance and come unfrozen from the “Disney seeker-sensitive delusion from last Chrsitmas!!!
This should have been screamed from the rooftops and every street corner, in every community throughout all of United States, every day for the last 46 years…. We have allowed the slaughter of approx. 70 million babies and their innocent blood has desecrated this land… Cursed is this nation and… Read more »
What a great article! Thank you for the reminder of the value and dignity of each human life. I am reminded that next to the Blessed Sacrament the holiest thing we will ever see is another human being because that person was made to be divinized. Unfortunately my pastor doesn’t… Read more »
That’s really unfortunate but far too common. I hope he musters the courage to preach the entirety of Scripture and not just the “comfortable” parts.
The church is responsible for the abortion holocaust, not by intent but by ignorance and neglect. This statement should trigger some kind of response in most people on both sides of the “issue”. For those who recognize killing children is intrinsically evil, and know that religion based on scripture makes… Read more »
Excellent commentary, John. Thanks for sharing.
I totally agree. I was born prior to Roe v. Wade in 1958, and I was placed into foster care & adopted at five months old by loving parents. My birth father was extremely closely related to my birth mother, which is why I was placed into foster care. If… Read more »