“Abortion hurts clinic workers too”
That profound statement was made by Annette, a Latino woman and former Planned Parenthood worker. Annette was a sociology major who chose to work for the abortion industry in an attempt to help young women prevent STDs and unplanned pregnancies. After witnessing girls in her family get pregnant at a young age, she wanted to reach ladies who could be faced with similar situations.
Annette was convinced that her work for the industry was beneficial. She enjoyed talking to students about abstinence and believed that abortion was just a small part of what her organization did. Her supervisors informed her that every pregnant woman who came into their clinic would receive information on three options. The first would be to keep their child, the second would be adoption, and the third and final option would be abortion. When Annette transitioned from educating high school students to working in the clinic, she discovered that those three options were a lie. The only “option” that was pushed was termination of the pregnancy.
One day, Annette’s boyfriend convinced her to go to a pro-life event. There she heard the testimony of Abby Johnson, the former director of a Planned Parenthood in TX. After Abby finished speaking, Annette knew she had to talk with her. She believes that God made a way for them to connect, perhaps largely thanks to her boyfriend’s prayers.
Talking with Abby on Sunday gave Annette the courage to approach her supervisor and quit on Monday morning. Annette is now married to her boyfriend and getting ready to give birth. She spent last year counseling at a crisis pregnancy center. Annette stated that it’s an amazing feeling to know that she is finally able to really help women.
Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood abortion clinic director
That is what Abby Johnson’s new ministry “And Then There Were None” is all about. It’s an initiative to help abortion workers leave the industry by providing for their financial, emotional, and spiritual needs. On Monday night, June 11, they had a special online webcast. Abby Johnson was joined by And Then There Were None’s operating director and Live Action blogger Jennie Stone, ex-clinic workers Annette and Sarah, and 40 days for Life executive director David Bereit, who served as host for the event.
The worldwide webcast, entitled “ Exposing the Lie,” was focused on promoting the new ministry, sharing the stories of abortion workers who have left the business, and gathering needed financial support for this important assignment. Midway through the webcast, David announced that there were 6,407 people taking part in the call! The large response was more than they had originally anticipated. It’s a obvious sign that many people are ready and willing to help.
And Then There Were None seeks to partner with local sidewalk counselors in an attempt to show genuine love and kindness to the men and women who are working inside the clinics. Those loving relationships can lead to a clinic worker approaching them for help. That’s what happened to Abby. If anyone understands how difficult it is to leave the abortion industry, she does.
Abby recalls the fear she had when she knew she had to leave. Even though Abby’s eyes were opened to the evil of abortion, it was still a challenging process to transition out of the job she had worked at for eight years. She was sad to leave her friends, wondered how she would pay her bills, and felt anxious about the life change she was embarking on. Thankfully, she had support in the caring pro-life community that had been praying for her over the years. She believes that their love helped her get through the pain of a lawsuit from Planned Parenthood, loss of income, and great ridicule and harassment from pro-choicers.
Abby walked through it all, and now she’s helping others do the same. She knows many in the abortion industry want to leave but are afraid they will have no where to go. They need a listening ear, money to support them as they find new work, and friends to pray for them. Abby clearly stressed that the purpose of this ministry is to see men and women set free from the lies of the abortion industry and healed from the trauma. In the webcast, she remarked, “No little boy or girl dreams about being an abortion clinic worker when they grow up.” There is so much more for these workers. I am dreaming about the thousands of doctors, nurses, educators, and CEOs from the abortion industry who will soon see the light and leave this industry of death. Let’s wait with arms wide open to welcome them when they come.
If you missed the webcast, you can listen to the recording here.
