Lincoln Brandenburg, CBR Project Director, Georgia

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform (CBR), Southeast Region Operations, is pleased to announce the appointment of Lincoln Brandenburg as our newest Project Director, responsible primarily for Georgia projects.

Lincoln is a graduate and former Student Ministries Director at the EI School of Biblical Training, a Bible and missions training school that emphasises personal discipleship and practical application of the Word of God into life and ministry.

Growing up in a Christian environment, Lincoln was always “pro-life,” but was only nominally involved.  But when he attended a local March for Life on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade in 2011, he was deeply convicted about his own complacency towards the killing of his unborn neighbors.  He sensed a calling to devote himself to pro-life work in response to God’s command to “love your neighbor.”

Since that time, he have been a leader in pro-life activities in Columbus, Georgia.  He has coordinated 40 Days for Life campaigns, organized and participated in sidewalk counseling and prayer, given pro-life presentations to church congregations, and served as a regular guest host for a local radio program.

Lincoln told FAB

I am honored to join with the team at CBR because I believe in the effectiveness of what CBR is doing.  Showing the pictures of what abortion actually does to it’s victims is essential to changing the minds of those who are pro-abortion, clarifying the issue for those on the fence, and galvanizing those who are pro-life.

Originally from Fayetteville, Georgia (just outside Atlanta), Lincoln has spent the last two years in Columbus, Georgia.  Before joining CBR, he has been a a sales representative at Cricket Wireless and a manager at Chick-fil-A.  He has now moved back to the Atlanta area to be more centrally located among the major universities in Georgia.

Welcome aboard, Lincoln!!!!

We are sad to report that Jon Scharfenberger has died of his injuries from the October 8 auto crash that also claimed the lives of Kortney and Sophy Gordon.  Jon went to be with our Lord at about 9:45 am this morning.  More here and here.

Jon was the Pregnant on Campus Coordinator of the Students for Life of America (SFLA).  Jon had many successes in his short time at SFLA, including establishing a pro-life campus group at Florida International University that was successful in saving the life of a pre-born baby, a mere one week after its creation. You can read more about this story here.

We will post information about arrangements as it becomes available.  More information from SFLA website here.  Donations to cover funeral costs are being accepted here.

Please pray for the Scharfenberger family during this enormously difficult time.

FAB will give updates, as available, on the condition of Jon Scharfenberger, the Students for Life of America (SFLA) staff member who is fighting for his life in Macon, Georgia.  Jon was critcally injured in Saturday night’s tragic auto crash that claimed the lives of Kortney Gordon and her preborn child Sophy.

Tuesday, October 18:  We are sad to report that Jon Scharfenberger has passed away from his injuries.  He died earlier today.

10:45 pm, Monday, October 17:  Jon has spiked a fever of 108 degrees F, which can be lethal. Urgent prayers are needed as this battle has taken a terrible turn for him.

10:30 am, Monday, October 17:  The doctors have induced a 72-hour coma in Jon.  Now is the time for prayer and fasting for Jon and his family.

5:30 pm, Saturday, October 15:  No further updates.  Pray for Jon’s condition to stabilize so that he can be transferred to a hospital specializing in brain trauma.

12:45 am, Friday, October 14:  Late Wednesday, Jon’s condition destablized for a time.  Throughout the day Thursday, his condition regained some sense of stability, but the issue is still in doubt.  Please pray for God’s healing for Jon, and pray for his family’s strength and comfort as the battle rages.

1:00 pm, Wednesday, October 12:  Jon has shown significant improvement since yesterday.  His condition remains extremely critical, but he is trending in the right direction, especially over the past 15 hours.  Please continue to pray.

2:00 pm, Tuesday, October 11:  There is a ray of hope.  Jon’s neurological condition has stopped deteriorating and has held steady through the night and through the morning.  From eye movements through his closed eyes, he is showing response to meaningful people in his life.  Having lived through the day yesterday, and having no further decline today are very hopeful indicators, though he remains in extremely critical condition.  The next 24 hours are crucial.  Specific are being withheld at the Family’s request.  Please keep up the prayers.  (link to source)

Sunday, October 9:  We are stunned to learn of the death of our dear friend Kortney Blythe Gordon, who was killed (along with Sophy, her preborn child) in an automobile accident near Macon, Georgia last night.  Story here and here.  Kortney was the National Field Director for Students for Life of America (SFLA), and was in Georgia to attend the Students for Life of Georgia conference that was held yesterday.

Three passengers in Kortney’s car were seriously injured.  Updates on the passengers and their progress are given below.

Please pray.

Update, 1:00 am, Monday, October 10:  SFLA staff member Jon Scharfenberger was also seriously injured in the crash.  His prognosis is not good.  We’ve been told that the other two passengers have regained consciousness.  Updates are being posted on the SFLA Facebook page.

Update, 10:30 am, Monday, October 10:  No further word on Jon.  He is still in critical condition and is in the ICU.  SFLA is hosting a webcast at 5:00 p.m. ET tonight for those who want to pray and offer their words of support for Kortney’s family and of encouragement for Jon. David Bereit of 40 Days for Life, Reverend Pat Mahoney of Christian Defense Coalition, and Claude Allen of Gerard Health Foundation will be on the call to lead us in prayer and discussion to honor the lives of Kortney and her daughter Sophy, and to offer words of encouragement for Jon and his family. We encourage you to join the webcast by clicking here.

Update, 2:30 pm, Monday, October 10:  The other two persons injured in Saturday’s crash have been identified as Leo Buckle, President of the Students for Life group at the University of South Carolina, and Ginny Stone, a pro-life activist from a pregnancy center in Durham, NC.  Ginny’s condition has been upgraded to stable.  Both Leo and Ginny are expected to live, although they have sustained extremely serious internal injuries requiring extensive surgery.

No further word about Jon, except that he is in extremely critical condition.

More details about the accident have been published.  According to a press report, Quenby Means Jr., 56, of Irmo, SC, was southbound on Eatonton Highway (US 129), about 8 miles north of Gray Ga., when he attempted to pass two cars in his SUV.  He crashed head-on into Kortney’s northbound SUV.  Kortney and her passengers were on their way home from the Georgia Students for Life conference in Macon.

Update, 4:00 pm, Monday, October 10:  Jon’s condition is worsening.  We are told it will take a miracle for him to last until tomorrow.  Please pray for this awesome young man.

Update, 8:30 am, Tuesday, October 11:  We’ve learned that, as of last night, Jon had pulled out of the steep decline that was reported yesterday.  His condition has leveled off, which is a good news, but Jon still has a long way to go.  SFLA is asking for prayer and fasting.  A special time of prayer is requested at noon today and every day for the next 10 days (link).

FAB is coming to you today from Macon, Georgia, where CBR is co-sponsoring a state-wide conference of the Students for Life of Georgia.  Pro-life students have come from all over Georgia for a day of leadership training and networking.  In fact, a few interlopers from South Carolina may have snuck in as well.  All-told, there are about 50 students in the crowd.

As one of the speakers for this conference, your humble correspondent addressed the students on the history of social reform, and how that history can guide us as pro-lifers.  We are not the first social reform movement, and we can learn a great deal from successful reformers like William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson, the abolitionists in America, Lewis Hine, and Dr. Martin Luther King.

Pro Life on Campus at Kennesaw State University

The Kennesaw University Sentinel:

• The men behind the display

The University of Georgia Red and Black:

• Anti-abortion display an offensive spectacle (letter)
• Freedom of speech prevails in Tate Plaza
• Tate Plaza Abortion Display
• Abortion display offensive (letter)
• Abortions do not equal Holocaust
• Display violates University Code of Conduct
• Abortion display shows the truth (letter)

The Student Free Press

• A misguided call for censorship in UGA student newspaper

Peggy LaFreniere 1940-2010

We were saddened last week to learn of the passing of our dear friend and saint Peggy LaFreniere.  Many of you may remember her as Peggy Espinda, as she was known before her recent marriage to Paul LaFreniere.

Peggy has long been a passionate defender of preborn children.  She was one of the very first people in Georgia to embrace our work at CBR.   For many years, we counted on Peggy to be a member of our traveling team as we took our GAP project to college campuses all over the country.  In fact, she was always the first person we called, because she was always up for a road trip.  She earned the respect of the students with whom she spoke, because she was both smart and compassionate.  She was a joy for us as well; she never complained about the hard work nor the long hours.

There are many children alive today and families still together because of Peggy’s tireless work.

Peggy, we are much richer for knowing you.  We look forward to seeing you again, in a place where “there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away (Rev. 21:4).”

Georgia Right to Life President Dan Becker explains how unborn children are denied rights of personhood.

Great day at Kennesaw State University.  This is the 3rd largest university in all of Georgia.  We were priviledged to be joined by several of our friends from Georgia Right to Life who joined us for the entire day.

PLTA Faculty Member Toby Tatum at UGa.

It’s Sunday afternoon and we are conducting our Pro Life Training Academy (PLTA) at the University of Georgia (UGa).  We are encouraged by the students and community members who are attending this training.

PLTA students learn how to articulate and respectfully defend the pro-life position.  On Wednesday and Thursday, PLTA students will have a unique opportunity for on-the-job training by helping staff our GAP display at Tate Plaza in the heart of the UGa campus.

In addition to training pro-life advocates, the PLTA seeks to unite pro-lifers behind common goals of education, training, and outreach.  We appreciate so much the efforts of the Georgia Right to Life, Athens Area Right to Life, UGa Students for Life, the Athens Pregnancy Center, and the University Church (in Athens) to make this event a huge success!

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/ProLifeTraining.

Toby Tatum of the Pro Life Training Academy

It’s Saturday morning and we are conducting our Pro Life Training Academy (PLTA) at Kennesaw State University (KSU).  It’s a huge success.  We’re almost standing-room-only and people are still pouring in!

Today, PLTA students (ranging in age from teenager to granny) are learning how to articulate and respectfully defend the pro-life position.  Role-playing will prepare students for real encounters.

On Monday and Tuesday, PLTA students will have a unique opportunity for on-the-job training by helping staff our GAP display at Kennesaw State.

In addition to training pro-life advocates, the PLTA seeks to unite pro-lifers behind common goals of education, training, and outreach.  We appreciate so much the efforts of the Georgia Right to Life, the KSU Pro-Life Ambassadors, and Cobb Pregnancy Services to make this event a huge success!

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/ProLifeTraining.

Georgia Right to Life (GRTL) has announced that of the 104 candidates they endorsed for the November 2 elections, a whopping 90 of them won their elections.  This achievement is made even more remarkable when you consider the very strict endorsement criteria employed by GRTL.

All 9 of the statewide constitutional offices on the ballot won their races.  They were:

• Governor – Nathan Deal
• Lt. Governor – Casey Cagle
• Secretary of State – Brian Kemp
• Attorney General – Sam Olens
• State School Superintendent – John D. Barge
• Commissioner of Insurance – Ralph T. Hudgens
• Commissioner of Agriculture – Gary Black
• Commissioner of Labor – Mark Butler
• Public Service Commission, District 2 – Tim Echols

On average, there was a full 15% advantage given to GRTL-endorsed candidate over the next nearest pro-abortion candidate in each prospective statewide race.

We congratulate GRTL on their victories!

Samuel Armas shaking the doctor's hand

Great time at the Georgia Right to Life (GRTL) REACH fundraising dinner last night in Atlanta.  I’m in Georgia this week laying the groundwork for our Pro Life Training Academy (PLTA) and Pro Life on Campus (GAP) events at the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University in November.  GRTL is partnering with CBR on all of this work.  GRTL President Dan Becker featured our cooperative efforts in his remarks last night.

Samuel Armas shaking my hand

Also in attendance was Samuel Armas and his family.  You may remember when Samuel exploded on the national scene back in 1999, when he reached out of his mother’s womb and grabbed the finger of his surgeon.  The photo became an instant sensation.

Now Samuel is 10 years old.  He and his parents were in attendance last night, and I was thrilled to shake Samuel’s hand.  (Wouldn’t you know it, I shook the wrong hand—the un-famous one—but what the heck.)  Fox News recently ran a story on Samuel, who is now 10 years old!

I love this story about a mom (Andie DeKroon) who gave her daughter up for adoption.  She was unmarried and 22 years old at the time.  Later, God blessed her with 10 more children.

In 2008, University of Georgia student Jenna Sykes decided that she wanted to get in touch with her birth mom.  Andie agreed, so they started writing letters.  Now, Jenna is about the same age as Andie was back then.  And they are competing together in the upcoming season of The Amazing Race on CBS!

Think of it.  Andie could have said “that baby will ruin my life.”  She did’t.  She had faith in the future.  She loved God’s creation more than her own convenience.  And now God continues to bless her with riches beyond measure.

These same kind of stories are being written today, when you support CBR.  You are literally writing happy stories on the hearts of others.  These stories won’t all be on TV, but I’m convinced they will be told in eternity before the Throne of God.  (That’s probably better than TV.)  Thank you for writing happy stories.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgGsHC7m5zE

From Dan Becker, President of Georgia Right to Life:

Thanks much for your notice of our endorsement criteria.  It actually is one of the toughest in the nation.

Many people assume that having such strict standards would actually marginalize our influence.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  We began this practice over ten years ago.  Today, the majority of publicly elected legislators in the state of Georgia hold to “life of the mother ONLY” exception.  In the last decade we went from the bottom of the list of states ranked by Americans United for Life (AUL) for its pro-life legislation to our current rating of 8th in the nation.

In the current race for Governor, 6 of 7 candidates supported our position AND support a Personhood Amendment to our Georgia Constitution.

We in the pro-life movement have been misled by our leaders in thinking that a biblicaly based, principled approach to politics is not achievable.  We have demonstrated otherwise.  We are proving that politicians “only see the light when they feel the heat.”

Thanks for all you are doing to end abortion in our day.

For the Sanctity of all life in the 21st century,
Dan Becker, President
Georgia Right to Life

(Note:  Dan Becker, President of Georgia Right to Life, left a longer version of the above as a comment on a previous FAB posting.  We thought his comments were important enough to warrant a reposting for wider visibility. — FAB)

Georgia Right to Life (GRTL) has issued their endorsements for the August 10 runoff election.  Click here.

GRTL has very strict requirements for getting their endorsement.  Each candidate must sign the following statement:

WHEREAS, the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law,” Georgia Right to Life PAC affirms the principle that the right to life is the bedrock upon which all other Constitutional rights are derived.

IN ADDITION, we believe, in the face of compelling biological evidence, that a continuum of human life and personhood begins at the moment of fertilization and ends at natural death, the ethical treatment of human embryos must include their “best interests,”

THEREFORE, as a candidate for public office, I affirm my support for a Human Life Amendment to the Georgia Constitution and other actions that would support these principles. This would assure that regardless of race, age, degree of disability, manner of conception or circumstances surrounding a terminal illness, that the civil rights of the pre-born at an embryonic or fetal level, the elderly and those with mental or physical infirmities are protected by law and are violated when we allow destructive embryonic stem cell research, therapeutic or reproductive cloning, animal human hybrids, abortion (except to save the life of the mother), infanticide, euthanasia or assisted suicide.

As a candidate for public office I agree to uphold these principles and positions.

Note that politicians who support a rape/incest exception would NOT get the Georgia Right to Life endorsement.  What do you think about this agreement?  Is it strong enough?  Too restrictive?  Please comment.

I think I would add a requirement that the candidate also sit and watch a video of abortion, e.g., the video on the www.AbortionNo.org website.  Do you agree?