“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
These words floated through the warm summer air as Mikayla Simpson, a senior history major, read from Psalm 139. We sat outside the library sipping coffee, eating ginger snaps and talking about Life 139, a pro-life group on campus that Simpson serves as president.
Life 139’s mission is to raise awareness about the one-third of our generation that is missing due to abortion. Simpson and the other participants of the group are passionate about educating students who want to learn more about pro-life apologetics and how that interacts with their faith. They also want to engage students to have honest conversations about their beliefs.
“The educational angle sets Life 139 apart as we aren’t imposing a belief on others, but opening up a dialogue of understanding,” said Grant Gammon, a sophomore business administration and political science major. “At the end of the day, we can’t make someone pro-life. All we can do is give them enough information to make an informed decision on where they stand on the issue.”
This year, Simpson and the leadership team have many events planned to reach out to students and educate them on real issues that they will be faced with. An event that Simpson is the most excited about is the Why We Need Men event. This event will take place on September 23. A panel of men from Dr. Dub to Eugene Brandt, the lead pastor of Fellowship Bible Church, will be speaking on pro-life issues. This event is open to both men and women.
” I have done my best to encourage strong men of Union and the Jackson community to engage in this issue and challenge each other. We need them in this movement too. This was an event that was birthed out of my bitterness and frustration that the Lord has used in a positive way,” said Simpson. “In my time here, even though we have a strong theology and missions department, we haven’t had any male members from theology and missions department. I don’t see it as an activity or a recreational organization.”
While Life 139 is based on Union’s campus, they do not limit their work to the grounds of the school. They partner locally with Birth Choice Pregnancy Medical Clinic and volunteer their time talking to women that are navigating through the hard season of pregnancy. Life 139 also takes a group of their students to Washington, D.C., to attend the March For Life.
“This is probably one of my favorite memories with Life 139, and it is all made possible by Dr. Dub,” said Simpson. “He makes sure that we are funded to go and march in D.C.”
At Union, we have the opportunity to encounter new ideas, grow in our faith and learn how to defend it. Life 139 is one of the opportunities that students can take advantage of if they want to learn more about pro-life issues.