What would you say if a twenty-six-year-old woman came before your church’s leadership team/elder board asking to start a program for teen moms? Evan Davis was one of the elders at Arlington Countryside Chapel (n.k.a. Pathways Church) in Arlington Heights, IL. While he happens to be my Dad, I’ve never asked him his initial thoughts when Christa March approached them about starting Teen Mother Choices.
“It just made sense,” Evan replied upon hearing Christa’s proposal. Admittedly, I was shocked to hear that was his initial response. When approaching a group of men about starting a ministry for teenage mothers, I imagined there would be some trepidation and many questions. However, according to my Dad, the men in that meeting agreed that
their church should open its doors and host the program. Remember, this was approximately 36 years ago! Women’s issues rarely got the attention and concern they needed.
I’m proud of my Dad and the other men on this elder board. They didn’t hesitate to wade into new and often murky waters to help these women. Many churches wanted to ignore or pretend teenage pregnancy and motherhood didn’t exist – and certainly didn’t exist within their buildings. Being Pro-Life was one thing, but addressing the needs of teenage mothers was another issue entirely.
I’m thankful there are more churches today that see and want to meet the needs of teenage moms in their communities. The Church should be where these women find safety, security, and solace. Please pray that more church leaders will respond like that first elder board and believe that bringing the TMC Program to their church “just makes sense!”