Celebrating Life in New Jersey
Story by Savanna Guagliardo
Photos by Stan Berger unless otherwise indicated
"We must return to a place in this country where we see life as God sees it—which is sacred and valuable at all stages," declared Kayleigh McEnany, the keynote speaker at the 3rd Annual Bridge Women's Center Gala in November. She served as press secretary for former President Donald Trump.
Your hands have made me and fashioned me. Psalm 119:73a
Bridge Women's Center (BWC), the mobile pro-life ministry operated out of Calvary Chapel Old Bridge, NJ, is combating abortion on the front lines. Among the 50 states, New Jersey ranks high in the number of abortions performed annually. Though the overturning of Roe v. Wade was a victorious moment for many in the U.S., numerous states reacted by becoming "sanctuary states" providing access to abortion; New Jersey is one of them.
Over 500 attended this year's gala, almost matching the number of babies saved, 485, since the ministry's inception. BWC began operating its first mobile medical unit, Hannah, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, traveling to abortion clinics to intercept mothers with offers of free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds—and, more importantly, with the love of Jesus.
The Battle Belongs to the Lord
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
With the stark reality of a yearly increase in abortion numbers due to New Jersey becoming a sanctuary state, donations from this year's gala will benefit the operation of the center's second mobile medical unit, Joshua, scheduled to arrive this coming January.
Lloyd Pulley, the pastor of Calvary Chapel Old Bridge, stated, "Nearly 80% of women who have an abortion feel that they had no other choice. So, we give them one. When they see and hear their baby in their womb and that we are with them in the long run, 80% choose life. And so, on behalf of the many happy moms who sent us beautiful photos of their babies, thank you for coming tonight."
A Heart Change
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of grace. Ephesians 1:7
Pastor Lloyd also shared why the gala is proclaimed "a celebration of life." He explained how it is not only about the babies' lives that will be saved but also about women and men coming to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. "I just have to tell you from the heart—this is a heart change for women when they see that baby, but it's not just, 'Save the baby, then see 'ya,'; a large part is coming alongside the women." Debbie Biskey added, "How do we change hearts? It's by bringing the Gospel because having children didn't make me pro-life—Jesus did."
Seeking the One
"And if he should find it, assuredly, I [Jesus] say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." Matthew 18:13-14
One compelling speaker of the night, BWC Medical Director Dr. John Lundberg, described the importance of each mother's life by using the parable of the lost sheep. "Understand that none of you are a statistic," he urged. "When lives are at stake, that should never be a guiding principle; you are an individual, you're a mother, you're a wife, you're a daughter. And as a physician, I don't take care of numbers. I take care of people."
He also explained the value of each child in the womb for whom God has a specific purpose and design. "What God has joined together, let man not separate. It gets hard at the end. There's a difficult decision to make—incest, birth defects, and these issues are emotional and personal. But we are not God. God is God, and the egg and sperm are joined; they are His creation. But no matter how heartfelt the reason might be, we have no right to attempt to undo what God has created," he continued.
The Spiritual War
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
"When we go back and forth debating why abortion is right or wrong on a human level, we have already entered the enemy's camp. Abortion is a spiritual issue, plain and simple," John Lundberg stated. "Abortion is wrong, immoral, and it should be illegal. As Pastor Lloyd says, 'It should be unthinkable.' In the book of Leviticus, when babies are offered to the “god” Molech, we see firsthand what it is—it is demonic. It is a spiritual battle that we do not fight against flesh and blood but against the powers and principalities of the darkness. And the truth is when I choose to go back and forth with another, they are not rejecting me; they are rejecting God."
John concluded by posing a question: "Is the Word of God enough to fight this with?" And after a moment's pause, he reflected, "Six thousand years ago in the garden, Satan tempted Eve. Eve tried to reason with Satan, and we all know how that turned out. Four thousand years later, in the wilderness, Satan tempted Jesus, but He didn't take the bait. With three lightning strikes from the Word of God, He completely dismantled the enemy. I realize abortion is a stronghold of Satan, and he can be only defeated with the Word of God."
Testimonies of Grace
Enthusiastic attendees became silent as they heard the testimony of Diana, a young woman helped by BWC, playing across the projection screens in the large ballroom. Diana became pregnant at 18, without support from her family and resources to provide for herself and her child. Because of the body of Christ, Diana was able to attend the gala this year with her 3-month-old daughter Alora and Alora's father, Logan.
Another testimony came from nurse Chris Frasier, who serves aboard Hannah on the front lines. Chris was adopted as a baby due to his birth mother's financial problems. He rejoiced in his birth mother's decision to give him life and was blessed to be adopted into a loving family. Chris said, "If there is one thing I could say to my birth mom, it's that I know that there was pain in your decision, but I pray you have peace and comfort because I am happy and fortunate for the life that I have."
For Such a Time as This
"For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise … from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14
The recurring theme of the night was that everyone in the room was there for such a time as this. "Each of you in this room is here for a purpose, for a reason—and the 485 lives that Bridge Women's Center has saved are here for a time and a purpose and will make an indelible impression on this world," Kayleigh McEnany expressed. "I want you to know that everyone in this room, and the lives that Bridge Women's Center will save in the future, are all here for such a time as this." She believes that the Lord has given BWC a divine purpose and mission: to impact the world by taking a stand for life.
She urged, "When you look, yes, abortion is a political issue, but it is a faith issue. As believers, this is where our faith and politics meet, and we can't afford to sit on the sidelines. I hear some people say the church should not be involved in politics. No. The church must be involved in politics when the issue of life is on the ballot and with the issue of religious liberty. It is not a woman's right to choose; it's a baby's right to live."
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Learn more about Bridge Women's Center at bridgewomenscenter.com
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