Vol. 41 No. 1 Stopping Abortion Now — One Life at a Time February 2021 82 Babies Documented Saved During this Past Year! by Debra Braun Babies Saved in 2020! Education Director With the help of God’s grace, we doc- Minneapolis/St. Paul area - 42 total umented 82 babies saved from abortion Planned Parenthood 30 through our ministry during the strange Robbinsdale 8 year of 2020. The baby girl pictured here Whole Woman’s 2 was our first “pandemic-era” baby saved! Brooklyn Park Planned Parenthood 1 Saved with the help of sidewalk coun- Unknown location 1 selors outside the St. Paul Planned Parent- hood (PP) on March 24 (after Minnesota’s Central Florida - 37 total “stay-at-home” order was issued), she All Women's Health Center 28 was born in late October. Her grateful Planned Parenthood 2 parents and older sisters were featured in Orlando Women’s Center 6 our virtual fundraiser in September. Unknown location 1 Along with other pro-life organizations and individuals, we were pleased to assist Duluth - 3 total This precious little girl was one of the 82 WE Health Clinic 2 (continued on page 5) babies we documented saved during 2020! Learned of from past 1 40 Years of Life-Saving Work by Brian Gibson Executive Director March 5, 2021 will mark our 40th an- niversary as a ministry. We started out under the name P.E.A.C.E of Minnesota and were re- named Pro-Life Action Ministries in 1986. This ministry was the first orga- nized sidewalk counseling in the nation and shortly after coming into existence, was training new sidewalk counselors on a national basis. Forty years later, we have documented 3,544 babies’ lives saved from death by abortion. Good Friday 2013 In the very early years, we brought I was the first full-time employee ministry in our hands. attention to abortion with bold actions hired, starting March 1, 1986 (I had been We took on Planned Parenthood, like sit-ins and demonstrations. At that a volunteer since the summer of 1981), which we continue to engage daily. We time, almost no one was paying attention Debra Braun was the second a month started covering all the area abortion to the killing of our unborn brothers and later. January 13, 1987 was the date of facilities, many of which no longer exist. sisters. In 1984 we conducted our first the discovery of the remains of thirteen Our pickets and demonstrations became All-Day Good Friday Prayer Vigil. aborted babies in Robbinsdale with press prayer rallies and vigils. We engaged in About two dozen of us were in atten- coverage, funeral and burial. Within a the large rescue missions starting in 1988 dance. The 2019 Solemn Good Friday few years, our co-founders, Michael with hundreds of arrests, some jail time Vigil (the last one prior to COVID-19) Gaworski, fbp, and Paul O’Donnell, fbp, had about 3,800 in attendance. (both now with the Lord) had left the (continued on next page) 2 Pro-Life Action News February 2021 From the Executive Director, Brian Gibson . We’ve Never Had a Pro-Abortion President Before Well, yes we have. And though what saved through prayer, through sidewalk we keep our peace and joy in the Lord as is being promised and followed through counseling, by God working in and we trust Him in the work we seek to with by the Biden administration may through us. And therein lies the crux, we accomplish for Him. If we keep our eyes advance the killing of innocent babies must rely on and trust in God. of faith on God, He will do amazing more than previous pro-abortion adminis- things through us. Let us all trust in God trations, there remains so much we can do Whatever the situation or circum- more than ever and continue to do the in the cause of life. stance, from a pandemic to the burning of good work He seeks to accomplish our cities to crazy elections to riots at the through us, saving lives and helping Our ministry, especially, allows for all U.S. Capitol to new laws and regulations, many. of us to engage directly in life-saving efforts immediately and for the long-term. When we stand in prayer at these places, “You don’t need a congressman to save a life.” we bring hope and love with the peace- — Ann Scheidler, Vice President, Pro-Life Action League, Chicago filled presence of God. Lives are being 40 Years of Life-Saving Work (from page 1) and even civil court injunctions. We boy- ing new and building up existing sidewalk work throughout the years. I look for- cotted Target Corporation for a decade, counseling efforts across the country. ward to the day when we can close down challenged both the Ramsey and Henne- After seven NSCSs, we recognized that this ministry because we have fully pin County commissioners, started a post- purpose had been fulfilled. accomplished our mission, saving every abortion effort named the Abortion After- These are just few highlights of our precious life we can each and every day math Center and launched an outreach to they are threatened with death and help- former and current abortion employees ing bring an end to the killing altogether. named the Society of Centurions of Amer- Main Office ica under the direction of the late Joan Pro-Life Action Ministries Appleton, RN. We purchased and later 1163 Payne Ave. remodeled the property adjacent to the St. Paul, MN 55130 Pro-Life Action News is published six abortion facility in Robbinsdale, our (651) 771-1500 times a year by Pro-Life Action Minis- house of prayer named the Chapel of the [email protected] tries, Inc., 1163 Payne Ave, St. Paul, MN 55130 (651) 771-1500 Innocents. We expanded into new areas including Central Florida Publisher - Brian Gibson, Duluth, Minn. and Orlando, Fla. We Pro-Life Action Ministries Executive Director started an all-out effort to get the abortion PO Box 150640 facility within Regions Hospital closed, Altamonte Springs, FL 32715-0640 Editor - Debra Braun, (407) 230-2557 Education Director which culminated in success after orga- nizing 40 Days for Life there during a [email protected] Permission is granted to reprint articles four-year period. In 2011 we held the from this newsletter. Credit line: first National Sidewalk Counseling Sym- Duluth Reprinted from Pro-Life Action News, posium (NSCS) for the purpose of creat- Pro-Life Action Ministries published by Pro-Life Action Ministries, PO Box 161018 St. Paul, Minn. Duluth, MN 55816-1018 To keep up with the MANY develop- Pro-Life Action Ministries is an inter- ments in the pro-life movement, (218) 382-0015 denominational Christian organiza- check out these websites for daily [email protected] tion dedicated to publicly defending www.prolife4duluth.com the sanctity of human life, and saving updates on the life issues! lives from abortion, infanticide and www.plam.org NationalRightToLifeNews.org euthanasia now through peaceful Follow us! direct-action and educational pro- LifeSiteNews.com jects. It was founded in 1981 by LifeNews.com Michael Gaworski, fbp, and Paul LiveActionNews.org O’Donnell, fbp. February 2021 Pro-Life Action News 3 Rest in Peace Joe Scheidler by Brian Gibson Joseph M. Scheidler passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on January 18, 2021. He was 93. Joe, also known as the “Godfather of Pro-life Activism,” founded the Pro-Life Action League in 1980 and was such an inspiration to the co-founders of our min- istry that in 1986 we renamed our organi- zation Pro-Life Action Ministries. I met Joe sometime in the summer of 1986 and was inspired as so many others were. Throughout the years, Joe was also a mentor, a colleague and a dear friend. He took to calling me the “Clark Gable” of the pro-life movement. I last saw Joe while traveling home of Clark Gable hanging on Joe’s office leadership made him out to be. Having through Chicago in January 2020. I door. We had to take a photo together in survived the longest running lawsuit in found myself just a few miles from his front of Clark! federal court history, going up to the U.S. Cicero Ave. office. On a suggestion from This giant of a man was a gentle, hum- Supreme Court three times, the claim by Joe’s son Eric I called and ended up in his ble servant of God and nothing like the office. Much to my surprise was a photo caricature the media and the pro-abortion (continued on page 5) 40 Days for Life Lent 2021 by Brian Walker Program Director February 17 – March 28 Along I-94 in the Twin Cities there’s a billboard from a local plumbing compa- Planned Parenthood ny. In large letters it says, “Flush 2020”. 671 Vandalia St. For many of us that sums up last year. It’s St. Paul, MN 55114 understandable to let the emotions of de- spair, frustration and maybe even fear fol- low us into the New Year. Opening Prayer, Feb. 17 Jericho March Closing 2019 Kit Larson, Smokey Photo But God! Psalm 37:23 states, “The Ash Wednesday steps of a man are established by the 3:00 p.m. 40 Days for Life is followed by . Lord, when he delights in His way; though he fall, he shall not be cast head- February 18 - March 21 Good Friday All-Day Prayer Vigil long, for the Lord upholds his hand.” The Daily prayer – 3:00 p.m.