Go Beyond

Kingsland member Mary Whittington has a passion for life — for speaking on behalf of the preborn at risk of being aborted. God has used Mary to promote the sanctity of human life both at home and abroad. Here is a brief interview with Mary about how God stirred her heart for life and has used her to speak on behalf of those who have no voice.

OG | Mary, when did God first stir your heart about the plight of the unborn at risk of being aborted?

MW | Thirty years ago God began stirring in me to see the unborn and women who have been affected or at risk for abortion the way He sees them. He shared the heartbreak of the reality of what an abortion at any stage is and what it does to the unborn.

OG | How did that stirring in your heart find expression in our own community?

MW | In 1980 I volunteered with Birthright after reading about their work in a church bulletin. They needed volunteers. Then, about 13 years ago, I was asked to serve on the board of the Pregnancy Help Center in Katy and was privileged to see it grow. We purchased land for a building and I served on staff during this time and actually got to be a part of seeing the building being completed. I served at the Pregnancy Help Center for 5 years.

OG | God used you to speak to my heart about the issues of abortion when I first arrived at Kingsland five years ago. You introduced me to Kurt Dillinger, the President of Life International, a ministry whose mission field is the one created by abortion. How have you been involved in helping our church to address the problem of abortion among the nations?

Mary teaching in Cambodia.

MW | I don’t think either of us knew what God had in store for our church or for each of us. He was really extending the invitation and opportunity to join Him in life-giving work and you and Pastor Alex said “yes” for all of us. Since 2006, I have been privileged to be a part of our church’s pursuit of God’s heart for the unborn and for women at risk. Kingsland has responded to the opportunity to support life-giving ministries wherever abortion is provided worldwide.

We have been privileged to build relationships with Christ-followers on the forefront of rescuing women and the unborn in Uganda and Cambodia. We have brought a biblical view of life to the church in these countries to help empower and encourage them in their work. A huge highlight for me was the opportunity to travel with other women and men from Kingsland who left home, kids, jobs, and commitments to enter the mission field for life.

We have introduced life in the womb to people who have never “seen” it or had full knowledge of what fetal development is or even looks like.
We have also offered a time of healing and restoration for any involvement they personally may have had in abortion so they can then move into life-giving ministry free from any sin, wounding, or effects of abortion. It was a privilege for me to pray with two women in Cambodia who confessed that they had had several abortions. It was a blessing for me to offer them encouragement and the hope of healing that comes through Jesus Christ.

OG | How has God been speaking to you about the issue of life in recent years?

MW | God has, in recent years, given me a clear picture that this is a spiritual battle that has raged since the beginning of time against the most innocent of His creation. The enemy doesn’t rest. He demands a mockery of God’s creation and sovereignty because we are told in Scripture that we are made in His Image.

God has given me a real love for the women I have encountered who have been affected by abortion. These women, as well as their aborted babies, are the victims of John 10:10 – “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy.” But our focus in action is the rest of John 10:10 – to offer life abundantly through Jesus Christ.

OG | What have you seen God do among the nations in regard to the sanctity of human life?

MW | We have reports of numbers of women and men coming to Christ through the pregnancy help center that we helped to start in Uganda in cooperation with Life International. Hundreds of babies have been saved because women have a place to go to hear and receive truth and to choose life.

More recently in Cambodia, the week after our church leadership conference last month, we received word that two attendees shared what they had learned about the sanctity of human life with women who were considering abortion. As a result, these abortion-minded women chose life for their babies. Another church leader called and wanted to talk about her past abortions and needed help with restoration and healing. Over and over during our training sessions, the people said they were anxious to share what they had learned about the sanctity of human life. They believed that God was going to spread these truths about life through Cambodia, a nation steeped in death. It is humbling to be a part of what God is doing and will do and to witness the commitment to life on the part of Christ-followers around the world.