In Tanzania, “the women bury the babies,” Pastor Elias explained.
He meant that in his culture, the lives of babies weren’t seen as valuable enough for the men to even attend their burials if the babies died.
I met Pastor Elias when I first visited Tanzania in 2016 through my ministry as founder and director of ABWE’s Beautiful Feet ministry. I had come at the invitation of another man, Pastor Enock, to equip pastors and church volunteers to carry out pregnancy care ministries in their communities.
Strong Opposition
The resistance I faced was palpable. At the time, supporting women who became pregnant outside of marriage was taboo among local Christians.
As I stood on the dirt floor of a small church teaching a group of pastors about God’s heart for the unborn and our call to care for their mothers, I was met with strong opposition.
One by one, the pastors in the room stood to tell me that I was wrong.
“Unwed pregnant women should be kicked out of the church as a lesson to everyone that sex outside of marriage is a sin,” they said.
Pastor Elias, though respectful and kind, was one of the most outspoken. I will never forget him—dressed in an impeccable suit and tie despite the sweltering heat—confidently stating that the church in Tanzania could never care for unwed mothers.
So, at the end of my two days of training, when Pastor Elias approached me and asked if I had the training lessons I had taught in written form, I hesitated before answering yes. I wondered what he planned to do with it.
Imagine my shock when he explained that he wanted to teach the material in the public schools.
The Lord, in his mercy and love, had changed Pastor Elias’ heart and shown him the truth through his Word.
Joyfully, I gave him the training materials to use.
Soon after I left Tanzania, Pastor Elias began sending pictures of himself teaching the sanctity of human life to dozens of people. A few years later, he informed me that he was ready to start a pregnancy ministry in his village.
What a joy it has been to see the Lord grow the seeds we planted.
A Changed Church
Recently, I had the blessing of returning to that same Tanzanian church where I stood nine years ago. The building looked the same, but the hearts of the pastors had been completely transformed.
These men eagerly accepted the training we provided and shared stories of babies saved and lives transformed in their communities.
This time, Pastor Elias stood up while I was teaching—not to correct me, but to testify. He spoke openly about how the church leaders’ earlier belief that unwed mothers should be removed from their churches was wrong.
“It was a mistake,” he said simply. “Because we are changed, our communities are changed.”
In the nine years between our trainings, Pastor Elias has started 15 pregnancy ministries. Pastor Enock—the one who dared to bring this training to Tanzania—has now helped plant 60 pregnancy ministries through Pastor Elias and other pastors.
Across much of Africa, and in the global church, there is a lack of teaching about the sanctity of human life. This is one reason abortion remains a significant problem, even within the church.
Teaching God’s people what his Word says about life is transformative. When believers hear the truth of Scripture, the Holy Spirit changes their hearts and moves them to action.
That is why Beautiful Feet exists—and why we will continue to serve in these areas.
We are blessed to witness God changing hearts and saving lives throughout the world.
