Justin Reeder was just 20 years old when he founded his business. Little did he know at the time that almost two decades later, his business acumen would be instrumental in launching a national pro-life ministry. Reeder was calling on a client in Charlotte, North Carolina, when he learned of a nearby inconspicuous building operating as an abortion business.
Reeder told Live Action News, “I was invited to go to visit which was known as the largest abortion clinic in Charlotte located just down the street from one of my biggest customers. I had no idea it was there, and I was stunned at what I saw.”
As he stood on the sidewalk, Reeder noticed visibly pregnant women go inside — and for Reeder, the abortion issue suddenly became real and personal.
“On that day, I think about 30 people walked through those doors,” Reeder said. “My heart just broke for all the people affected by the inhumanity of abortion. I felt convicted to do something to raise awareness of this atrocity.”
He spoke with the sidewalk counselors about bringing pastors to the abortion center to allow them to experience firsthand the tragedy occurring in their community. Reeder said, “Churches typically don’t want to get involved. There’s much apathy from spiritual leaders. I wanted to find a way to change that.”
He returned to the office and shared the troubling details of that day with his staff. Then, he started bringing other business leaders to the facility so they, too, could get a glimpse into the horrors of abortion.
“Afterward, I got involved in some pro-life work, but had no clarity yet on what I was going to do to affect change on a larger scale,” Reeder said.
Amid prayer and fasting, Reeder traveled to Central America to help build a business there. “It was during that time that I heard God tell me, ‘I called you to be a voice for the voiceless.’ I knew the Lord was stirring something deep within me,” Reeder said.
Creation of pro-life ministry inspired by book of Nehemiah
As Reeder began journaling, he focused on the book of Nehemiah, which revealed to him a vision and a plan of how to engage the church. Three years after his initial trip to the abortion business, Reeder formed Love Life, a ministry with a mission to “mobilize the church to create a culture of love and life that will result in an end to abortion and the orphan crisis.”
“The ministry was funded by a coalition of entrepreneurs who saw a need to raise awareness in the church about the slaughter of innocent children that was occurring in their communities,” Reeder said. “I used the same model I developed to grow my enterprise as a springboard for Love Life.”
Love Life’s four-step action plan, “Hear, Pray, Go, Connect” (also known as “Adoption Week”) involves 1) Awareness and education; 2) Uniting the church through prayer and fasting; 3) Visiting abortion centers on “prayer walk Saturdays;” and 4) Connecting through sidewalk outreach, orphan care and mentorship. It was chapter one in the book of Nehemiah that inspired this powerful strategy.
Reeder said, “I grew up as a pastor’s kid and understand what they go through. Love Life meets them where they’re at and offers a practical way to spur them into action. It’s akin to a ‘plug and play’ model and makes it easy for pastors to get motivated because we do all the work for them.”
To date, Love Life has mobilized over 160,000 people for Saturday prayer walks, been influential in saving more than 5,000 babies, and has seen 50 abortion workers leave the industry.
“The church is one of the most powerful institutions we have,” Reeder said. “Love Life exists to unite and mobilize all denominations to work together and to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”
He added, “Pastors who have participated in our program have been forever changed by what they experience.”
Reeder likens his program to Christianity 101, guiding pastors in viewing the issue of abortion in a new way – as a mission field in their own backyards filled with hurting, desperate people.
“The most vulnerable among us are the children in the womb,” Reeder said. “We know the address and time where these children are being murdered and we need to be there to offer restoration through the Gospel. Wouldn’t you go where there was a school shooting to help? This is a call for all Christians to rally.”
Extended the impact of Love Life through House of Refuge
With the success of Love Life, Reeder isn’t letting any grass grow under his feet. He has established a new initiative, House of Refuge, which offers through the church a safe haven for families with the goal of providing an alternative to abortion, while offering healing for those devastated by abortion.
Reeder said, “House of Refuge is a different kind of commitment involving pastors. The idea was birthed from a CareNet study which indicated those who attended religious services were obtaining as many abortions as those who did not.”
There are about 250 House of Refuge churches nationwide. Love Life staff trains representatives who, in turn, help pastors institute and manage the program.
For Reeder, his intent is for Love Life and House of Refuge to offer comprehensive approaches to promote a pro-life culture with churches as the driving force.
“I think God had always been preparing me for a time such as this,” Reeder said. “We now have expanded Love Life to 17 cities with eight more preparing to launch soon,” Reeder said. “We are always seeking to partner with entrepreneurs and those with a passion for life to help start Love Life programs in their cities. We have much work to do yet, but we’re making progress.”
Editor’s Note, 8/25/23: The number of prayer walks has been corrected to accurately reflect the number of participants. We regret the error.
