Article published September 26, 2009
Speaker founded '40 Days for Life' campaign
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR
David Bereit isn't waiting for help from Washington. Rather, he's enlisted up to 100,000 people in 212 cities - including Toledo - to participate in a "40 Days for Life" campaign aiming to prevent abortions.
The program, which began Wednesday and concludes Nov. 1, asks people to fast and pray, hold peaceful vigils outside of abortion clinics, and spread a "positive, upbeat pro-life message to every corner of our city."
"We feel there's an urgent need for transformation in our world," Mr. Bereit said.
An evangelical Christian who has become a leader in the U.S. anti-abortion-rights movement, Mr. Bereit will give the keynote speech at the 10th Annual Benefit for Life Charity Reception Thursday night in Maumee.
In an interview this week, Mr. Bereit said he first became involved in efforts to curb abortions in January, 1998, when Planned Parenthood announced plans to open a facility in College Station, Texas.That led him to help start the Coalition for Life, a nonprofit organization that rallied 60 churches and thousands of individuals in opposition to the Planned Parenthood clinic.
He said he was delighted when Planned Parenthood called College Station "the most anti-choice city" in the United States.
"We took that as a compliment, although I don't think that's what they intended it to be," he said.
Mr. Bereit served as chairman of the board of the Coalition for Life for three years before quitting his job in sales and marketing at a pharmaceuticals firm in July, 2001, to work full-time as executive director of the coalition.
The first 40 Days for Life campaign was held in 2004 in College Station and then expanded into a nationwide program in the fall of 2007. Toledo was one of the original 89 cities to participate that year, according to local coordinator Ann Barrick.
Since then, an estimated 200,000 people have participated in 240 cities in the United States, Canada, Northern Ireland, and Australia.
Paige Scarlett, development director for Toledo's Foundation for Life, said the organization hopes Mr. Bereit's Toledo-area appearance will help raise awareness of the 40 Days for Life program as well as funds for the Foundation for Life. The annual banquet is the organization's one major fund-raising event each year.
"We're helping to get people invigorated to join 40 Days for Life locally as well as having an extremely interesting speaker at our banquet," Ms. Scarlett said. "It's inspiring to hear David's stories and hear about the positive sides of the pro-life cause. His campaign has saved over 1,500 babies in the last couple of years."
Mr. Bereit, 41, said 95 to 98 percent of those who participate in the campaign are Christians of various denominations, but people of all religious traditions are welcome.
He said the program focuses on prayer, fasting, and education, and completely denounces violence.
"Our training is for nonviolent, peaceful means. A person cannot even sign up without agreeing to sign a statement of nonviolence," Mr. Bereit said. "We are all made in God's image and every time a human life is taken it's a tragedy. We very much believe in being pro-life in every way."
Ms. Barrick said Mr. Bereit's programs have helped connect people in the pro-life movement locally and nationally.
"It's been an awesome networking opportunity," she said.
In Toledo, vigils are held daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Center for Choice on 22nd Street. More than 700 people participated in the first two campaigns, Ms. Barrick said.
"We are there to be prayerful and peaceful. We don't hold any signs. So many times in the media people in the pro-life movement are portrayed as angry, yelling people. We're there because we care about the babies but also the men and women involved," she said.
Foundation for Life's 10th Annual Benefit for Life Charity Reception, with David Bereit as keynote speaker, starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pinnacle, 1772 Indian Wood Circle, Maumee. Tickets are $60. Reservations are required but payment can be made at the door. Information: 419-535-5800. Information on David Bereit and 40 Days for Life is available online at 40daysforlife.com.
- David Yonke
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