March for Life to be held at 11 a.m. today, Jan. 23 ... rain or shine

Georgia Baptists will join thousands of other pro-life advocates this morning for the annual March for Life march and rally in downtown Atlanta. Georgia March for Life/Special

With today’s March for Life rally at Liberty Plaza across the street from the state Capitol, Georgia Baptists are gearing up for the annual Spring season for increased involvement in shaping legislation around biblical values.

Mike Griffin, the Georgia Baptist Mission Board’s lobbyist under the Gold Dome, will serve as master of ceremonies at the pro-life event. The rain-or-shine march and memorial service will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Griffin, state missionary and public affairs representative for the Board, also serves as pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Hartwell. The pro-life advocate urged Georgia Baptists to attend the event and let their concerns be heard by legislators who meet just a few feet away at the Capitol.

"I encourage anyone who believes in the sanctity of human life to attend. Now is not the time to be silent. God is not complacent regarding the death of over 58 million children by abortion in our country,” Griffin said.

Events will include a pro-life prayer service led by Bound4LIFE Atlanta at 11 a.m. Praise and song with worship artist Kurt Scobie will follow at 11:30 a.m., then a testimony of abortion, adoption, and reunion by special guest Bette Noble. The keynote address will be presented by the Benham Brothers.

After the memorial service thousands of pro-life Georgians will join in a one-mile silent march against the abortions that have occurred since passage of Roe v. Wade. The march will begin at 1 p.m.

There are no ID or minimum age requirements. The Georgia March For Life is a family-friendly event permitted by the City of Atlanta who will provide security at the Memorial Service and March. Small children must be in strollers or under close supervision.

Signs are permitted at the event but they must be hand held and are not allowed to have sticks or posts attached. A personal picture ID is required in the event individuals intend to enter the State Capitol Building. The event will be conducted at Liberty Plaza and in the public right of way along Atlanta city streets

Interested persons can go here to register or receive more information, including directions.

Liberty Plaza is located at the corner of Martin Luther King and Capitol Avenue across from the Capitol. The Index will provide story and photo coverage by Editor J. Gerald Harris.

Georgia Right to Life promotes respect and effective legal protection for all innocent life from earliest biological beginning through natural death.

GRTL is one of a number of organizations that have adopted Personhood as the most effective pro-life strategy for the twenty-first century.

The rally is the first of many Spring events encouraging Georgia Baptists to be more involved in civic affairs.

Upcoming items include this week’s annual Legislative Prayer Breakfast that will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 25. The meal and program will begin at 7 a.m. in the Empire Room at the Sloppy Floyd Building in downtown Atlanta. Georgia Baptist Convention President Thomas Hammond will be guest speaker.

Pastors Days at the Capitol will be held Feb. 2 and 9 at the Georgia State Capitol. Lunch will be included for the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. gatherings. Guest speaker will be Truett-McConnell University President Emir Caner. For more information contact Karen Wheeler at kwheeler@gabaptist.org or by calling (770) 936-5204.

More information about the two events will be posted on the Index website in the morning.