HARRISBURG, Pa.– ABWE, a global missions agency with a century-long legacy of evangelism, discipleship, and church planting, is thrilled to announce the integration of Beautiful Feet International (BFI)— an international, Christian, non-profit organization that has founded more than 90 pregnancy centers in over 25 countries—into its global family of ministries. This addition comes at a critical turning point for pro-life causes, following the landmark overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
The collaboration between ABWE and BFI aligns with a global vision that recognizes the urgent need to address the imbalance in pro-life efforts. While 97 percent of abortions happen outside the US, only 3 percent of pro-life funding reaches these areas. This partnership aims to bridge this gap, targeting the 97 percent of the problem that has been largely overlooked.
BFI brings yet another dimension to ABWE’s existing pro-life ministry efforts. The BFI model intentionally focuses on equipping national local church volunteers to carry out pregnancy care ministry, with the primary mission as evangelism and discipleship. The simplicity of the model enables missionaries and nationals to move swiftly, answering the call of urgency to make disciples of all nations.
ABWE’s Existing Life-Focused Ministries
ABWE is not new to the realm of life ministry. Its existing life-focused ministries have been providing pro-life alternatives to abortion in countries that often push women towards abortion clinics. These include:
- Choose Life Center in Odesa, Ukraine, serving more than 300 clients since 2014 and saving six children’s lives this year alone and seeing three new professions of faith in Christ last year.
- Florece Prenatal and Family Counseling Center in Chile, witnessing 33 new professions of faith in Christ, based on the most recent available data.
- Dar Health Initiative’s MamaLove program, caring for more than 75 Tanzanian women in in recent years.
- New Life Prenatal Center in Peru, specializing in crisis pregnancies and trauma.
- New Hope Pregnancy and Family Counseling Care Center in Chiclayo, Peru, counseling more than 440 people and witnessing more than 250 professions of faith in Christ since its founding in 2005.
- Seigu Baptist Clinic in Papua New Guinea, treating around 22,000 patients this year, including many abortion-minded mothers and fathers.
- Global Pregnancy Resources Fund, resourcing a variety of existing pro-life ministries within the ABWE world.
The Need
The need for this partnership is underscored by sobering statistics, compiled by ABWE in its January 2022 special report:
- 66 percent of women who had an abortion knew that it was a mistake.
- 74 percent of women admit that their abortion decision was swayed by some form of pressure from others.
- 80 percent of women decide to keep their pregnancy if they see an ultrasound.
Paul Davis, president of ABWE, reflects on the significance of this partnership: “2023 marks a pivotal moment not just for the US, but for the world. The integration of Beautiful Feet into our global family amplifies our commitment to protecting the defenseless and communicating the gospel in love to those in crisis.”
Melissa Heiland, president and founder of BFI, shares her vision: “God is using pregnancy ministry to reach communities for Christ around the world. We are thrilled to join the ABWE family of ministries to make an even bigger impact.”
ABWE invites supporters, partners, and the public to learn more about these gospel-centered pro-life efforts at beautifulfeetinternational.com.
About ABWE
For nearly 100 years, ABWE has served the local church by mobilizing, supporting, and empowering missionaries who engage in evangelism, discipleship, church planting, and partnership with national believers. As a global family of ministries, ABWE’s 1,000 missionaries are reaching 84 countries and countless people groups using a variety of ministries and skills to make an eternal impact in an ever-changing world.
About Beautiful Feet International
Beautiful Feet International is a faith-based, international, non-profit organization that has founded more than 90 pregnancy centers in over 26 different countries. BFI clients receive discipleship throughout their pregnancy and baby’s first year, and all centers are affiliated with Bible-believing churches and run by nationals. While short-term mission trips are not central to BFI’s mission, they do play a role in logistical support, helping to get supplies to centers.
