Clergy Prayer Breakfast

Pastors from around Shelby County gathered on Tuesday, September 29th, to share in fellowship, discussion and prayer at the First Annual Pro-Life Prayer Breakfast for Pastors at St.John’s Lutheran Church in Sidney, Ohio.

The inter-denominational event, hosted by St. John’s and sponsored by Right to Life, featured a variety of speakers on pro-life topics, with a particular focus on promoting adoption as a life-giving choice and helping those who suffer from post-abortion stress to find healing.

“Our goal in organizing this event was to provide a forum for pastors in our community to talk about the disregard for human life that challenge us in today’s culture,” said Anne Schmiesing, Co-director of Right to Life.  “We look forward to providing similar events in the future in an effort to encourage cooperation among area churches in building a culture of life.”

The event’s main speaker, Pastor Jon Schriber of St. John’s, was adopted as a child, and has also adopted children of his own.  The program included his powerful adoption testimony, as well as information about local resources to help those struggling with a difficult pregnancy, post-abortion syndrome, or facing care for an elderly or terminally ill person.

“God has blessed Gaile and I with four wonderful children, the youngest two being adopted,” shared Pastor Jon.  “While I know you cannot miss what you did not have, we cannot imagine life without Josh and Molly.”  Pastor Schriber added, “We can only imagine with sad hearts how many countless joys and wonders of life have been lost to the families and the world through the tragedy of abortion.”

This inaugural breakfast was held as an opening event for the 40 Days for Life campaign, which encourages prayer, fasting, and peaceful activism seeking to bring awareness of pro-life issues in local communities.