Huge fundraiser held for woman's center
Woman's Enrichment Center offers alternative to abortion
By DWIGHT OTWELL Sentinel Writer

Woman's Enrichment Center Director Chris Scoggins.

About 550 people from an estimated 50 churches came together Thursday to raise money for a woman's center that provides alternatives to abortion.

The largest fund raiser of the year was held for Woman's Enrichment Center, with centers in Andrews, NC and Blairsville and Dalton, GA. The banquet was held at the House of Prayer near Blairsville. The Woman's Enrichment Center is a ministry of the Appalachian Area Crisis Pregnancy Centers.

Women's Enrichment Center Director Chris Scoggins noted that the Andrews center opened in February and that churches in the area rallied to support it.

In the last year, the centers have seen 1,060 different clients, taught 665 classes and reached over 10,000 students in five counties for its abstinence program.

The Lord provided for a large, mobile, modern ultra sound machine, Scoggins said. The machine was procured for about half of its usual cost ($33,000) through a grant which was approved in December. Since then, Charles Cattanach has overseen 1,126 scans with the machine.

Scoggins called for volunteers for the Blairsville and Andrews centers.

"What a sweet thought that you are part of saving a ministry that saves so many lives," he said. "We need volunteers, resources and the prayers of God's people."

Mary Blaine, a volunteer with the program, told the audience that a girl came into the center about the time they started the ultra sound program. Her boyfriend was urging her to get an abortion. The girl heard the baby's heartbeat and said, "I will not kill my baby," Blaine said.

The baby was saved and the girl went to college and credits God with saving her baby.

"God is a God of second and third chances," Blaine said. "He never gives up on giving us another chance. He uses our failures for a purpose. At the Center we offer love, compassion and assistance."

Blairsville resident Emily Carey, 11-years-old and a member of Blue Ridge First Baptist Church, sang two songs for the appreciative audience.

Mike Stone, pastor of Emanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, GA, was the keynote speaker. He called abortion the "American Holocaust".

Stone said that seven million Jews were exterminated by the Nazis in the WWII holocaust. However, an estimated 46 million babies "have been murdered in the womb", he said. Forty six million is equivalent to the combined populations of Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky and Mississippi. Forty six million is roughly 16 percent of the population of the United States, he said.

The chances of being killed by abortion is 45 times greater than being murdered in Los Angeles, the murder capital of the United States, he said.

"God doesn't hate people," Stone said. "Neither should we. There is forgiveness for all sin at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ. But there is a sovereign hatred of abortion."

Stone said that legal abortion is relatively new - since the 1970s. For over 91 percent of the history of the country, judges found no legal right under the Constitution to allow abortion, he said.

"Nothing is legal if it is a moral wrong," he said. "That will not hold up in the courtroom of heaven. Aunique individual is created at the moment of conception."

Stone said we can respond with four courses of action:

1) Take a political course of action.

2) Pastors can take a course of action.

3)Take a providential course of action (God is calling us to pray).

4) Take a personal course of action. (Contribute and volunteer).

The Blairsville center will have an orientation for volunteers on Friday, November 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The center is on Patrice Drive in Blairsville and the telephone number is (706) 835-7518.

The Andrews office will have an orientation to the ministry on Saturday, November 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Christ Community Church. The center is located on Chestnut Street and the telephone number is (828) 321-3848.

The Woman's Enrichment Center is a local, nonprofit nondenominational organization made up of many Christian churches and individuals who seek to provide alternatives to abortion minded women and to lovingly help them.

The mission is to promote life by supporting women in need during pregnancy through birth and bring healing and wholeness to lives traumatized by abortion and sexual sin.

The centers educate through a sexual abstinence program and make it available to schools, churches and other organizations. Classes are offered such as Bible study, child birth, parenting skills, family conflict and opportunities, finance and cooking.

Women are helped by providing pregnancy tests, ultrasound scans and practical support such as maternity clothes, baby clothes, etc.

All clients are served free of charge.