Rescue Mission at Cherry Hill Abortion Clinic
By Editorial Staff
Published November 1987
BINGHAMTON, NY (FR) – Over 200 people were arrested in November of 1987 in the nation’s largest “rescue mission” for unborn children, conducted at the Cherry Hill Women’s Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The protestors, who flew in from 19 different states at their own expense, came to the clinic to be trained in the civil disobedience tactic of barring pregnant women from abortion facilities in order to save the lives of unborn babies. The protest was organized by Operation Rescue, a pro-life group based in Binghamton, New York.
The 350 protesters were obviously very successful in their efforts, since the Cherry Hill Center did not perform any abortions on Saturday, November 28, the day of the protest. Three other clinics in nearby Philadelphia also closed for the day because the operators knew that the protesters were in the area.
“Operation Rescue” had a secret rally at an undisclosed location on the night prior to the sit-in. Protesters said they did not know where the event would take place until their 5 a.m. meeting in Philadelphia. After the rally, Operation Rescue’s assistant director Gary Leber said the ‘rescuers’ drove across the river to the Cherry Hill facility.
Police began arresting people after 10 a.m., when they were threatened with a lawsuit by an attorney representing the clinic. “It was very peaceful,” however, said Leber, “and police told(the director) that they would have to start arresting people because of the threatened lawsuit.” To prolong the event, the protesters were advised to allow the police to drag them away. The police assured Leber that they would not use force or handcuffs, and they left 40 men behind because they did not want to drag them.
The county jail was overflowing with people, since the police spent almost six hours arresting protesters. About 350 people were sitting in front of the clinic, singing and praying, before the arrests began. One of the policemen took a busload of people to a nearby 7-Eleven store to purchase snacks for the cooperative rescue participants.
Hearings in the case are scheduled for January and February of this year, and those charged with trespassing will face a maximum fine of $500 or six months in jail. So far, protesters have vowed that they will not pay fines.
Leber said that the Cherry Hill protest was the first in a series of national rescues that his organization is planning. “We prefer to use the term ‘rescue’” Leber said, “instead of ‘sit-in’ because we view it as biblical obedience over civil disobedience. We aren’t here to break a law but to obey God.”
The Cherry Hill clinic has an average of 35 abortions a day, but there was no particular reason why it was singled out as the first target of the national rescue effort. “Our rule of thumb in selecting a clinic is to go where the lives of unborn children are threatened.” He also said that Operation Rescue wants to encourage more than letter writing or marching. “If mothers see that Christians are willing to risk arrest for their child,” he said, “they begin to see the value of their baby’s life.”
For more information on Operation Rescue, contact: Operation Rescue, P.O. Box 1180, Binghamton, NY 13902, phone (607) 723-4012.
Forerunner - Home » The Forerunner Newspaper » Pro-life Activism
Your comments are welcome!
The Four Keys to the Millennium (Book)
Foundations in Biblical Eschatology
By Jay Rogers, Larry Waugh, Rodney Stortz, Joseph Meiring. High quality paperback, 167 pages.
All Christians believe that their great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will one day return. Although we cannot know the exact time of His return, what exactly did Jesus mean when he spoke of the “sign of His coming” (Mat. 24)? How are we to interpret the prophecies in Isaiah regarding the time when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:19)? Should we expect a time of great tribulation or reformation and revival before the Lord returns? Is the devil bound now, and are the saints reigning with Christ? Did you know that there are four hermeneutical approaches to the book of Daniel and Revelation? These, and more questions, are dealt with by four authors as they present the four views on the millennium. Each view is then critiqued by the other three authors.
$9.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
Dr. Francis Schaeffer - How Should We Then Live? (DVD)
Special Two-Disc Set!
After 40 years of intense study and world-wide ministry, Dr. Francis Schaeffer completed his crowning work of scholarship – to present profound truths in simple film language. Dr. Schaeffer’s brilliant analysis of the past and predictions for current trends have proven so uncannily accurate that this amazing series still feels contemporary almost three decades after its initial release. Ultimately, Schaeffer concludes that man’s only hope is a return to God’s Biblical absolute, the truth revealed in Christ through the Scriptures.
Available for the first time on DVD, this documentary spectacular also includes intimate in-depth conversations with Francis and Edith Schaeffer. With the on-disc study guide, this presentation forms a unique course of comprehensive study. While this series forms an innovative analysis of the past, this outstanding work is more than history. Each episode focuses on a significant era, yet speaks clearly to 21st-century man with answers for modern problems.
$49.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
Abortion Clinic 911 Calls
Exposes the Dangers of Abortion to Women!
These shocking eyewitness accounts expose the dangers of abortion not only to unborn children, but to the health and lives women as well. An antidote to the smokescreens of the liberal media, these six short clips show what really happens in and around abortion clinics.
Although the content is emotionally gut-wrenching, these videos have been used in church seminars and small groups to educate Christians on the abortion issue and to lead people toward a pro-life position.
Watch these pro-life videos on-line.
“These videos helped change my mind from pro-choice to pro-life. Your videos are what did it for me. I will be walking in next year’s March For Life in San Francisco.” — A. Jackson, California
“I was going to have an abortion until I saw your video. Praise Jesus!”
— M. Drew, YouTube Commenter
$9.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
Martin Luther (DVD) 1953 Classic
Niall MacGinnis – Digitally Remastered
The dramatic classic film of Martin Luther’s life was released in theaters worldwide in the 1950s and was nominated for two Oscars. A magnificent depiction of Luther and the forces at work in the surrounding society that resulted in his historic reforming efforts, this film traces Luther’s life from a guilt-burdened monk to his eventual break with the Roman Catholic Church.
In spite of its age, this film continues to be a popular resource to introduce Luther’s life. This historical epic captures the life and times of the greatest figure of the Protestant Reformation with depth and clarity, while giving a glimpse at the private man in the eye of the storm. Luther’s protest against the established order of the Church gave birth to one of the largest religious and cultural movements history and serves as a prime example of how one man’s spiritual convictions can change the course of human events.
Running Time: 105 minutes
$9.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
A Revival Account: Asbury 1970 (DVD)
What is true Revival and Spiritual Awakening?
Discover the answer in this eyewitness account by Dennis Kinlaw, President of Asbury College, Wilmore, Kentucky, who recounts the story of a visitation of the Holy Spirit in 1970. This is the presentation that has continued to spark the flames of Revival in the hearts of people around the world. Contains eyewitness footage from the Revival at Asbury College in 1970 in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Certain to challenge you to greater holiness and a deeper commitment to full-scale revival. Original news and private footage has been included. If you are a student who longs to see a spiritual awakening at your school, you must see this video!
“This simple video does a wonderful job of conveying something of God’s heart and power, Everyone we have ever shown this to has received an immediate impartation of faith for revival and the power of prayer.”
— Bob and Rose Weiner, Weiner Ministries Int’l
Running Time: 40 minutes
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!
