Heartbeat International Conference Will Equip and Assist Pregnancy Centers
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
May 13, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Heartbeat International is sharing a message of hope with the pregnancy help ministries that have been attacked by harassment bills intended to impugn their reputations.
“Better together” is the message of the 2010 Heartbeat International Conference, designed for ministry leaders, staff, board members, and volunteers of life-affirming pregnancy help centers, medical clinics, maternity homes and nonprofit adoption agencies, as well as medical, counseling, social work, and education professionals.
The 39th Heartbeat International Annual Conference, scheduled for May 18-20, 2010 in Orlando, Florida is attracting nearly 700 pregnancy support providers from 17 countries.
Heartbeat will provide 72 educational workshops in 12 different tracks including a “Center Defense” track developed to address the attacks by elected officials and to expose the propaganda tactics used by abortion dealers to thwart the good work of pregnancy help centers.
“Our focus on center defense is a very important track at our conference this year because nonprofits are not used to being attacked for helping pregnant women,” Heartbeat International President Peggy Hartshorn, told LifeNews.com. “Pregnancy help ministries need to learn proactive strategies to handle the hostile political maneuverings of public officials retained by the abortion industry.”
Heartbeat’s Babies Go to Congress is one such strategy where women grateful for the services they have received from the pregnancy centers get a chance to share their story with elected officials in Washington D.C.
The Heartbeat conference will feature seven dynamic keynote speakers including Prison Fellowship Chairman Mike Timmis, Dr. Freda McKissic Bush, medical director of two pregnancy centers in Mississippi, Life Issues Urban Outreach Director Rev. Arnold Culbreat, and Pam Tebow, the mother advised to abort her Heisman Trophy-winning son.
Heartbeat is scheduled to host more than 40 pro-life community leaders from every inhabited continent.
The Heartbeat conference will feature an interactive interview session with Bristol Palin, daughter of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. Bristol is working with Single Source Speakers.
In addition Heartbeat will host a pre-screening on Wednesday night of the new pro-life film, “Sarah’s Choice” and a special performance by lead actress and Christian singer Rebecca St. James. Conference participants will also be inspired by the music of Dr. Ron Kenoly, and Leo Villanueva, student music minister at Idlewild Baptist Church and winner of the 2006 Dove Award for Spanish Album of the Year.
The conference, sponsored in part by Bethany Christian Services, will conclude on Thursday evening with an awards ceremony honoring those who have provided significant contributions to the pregnancy help movement.
Heartbeat International, founded in 1971, is a Christ-centered association of more than 1,130 pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, non-profit adoption agencies, pregnancy help medical clinics and abortion recovery programs in 48 countries.
Related web sites:
Heartbeat International – https://www.heartbeatinternational.org
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