The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) has come up with a novel way to help save the lives of babies who would otherwise have been aborted.
The COGIC is one of the oldest Pentecostal groups in the world with over 6.5 million members coming from 63 countries worldwide, Life Site News reported. During their annual convocation held in St. Louis, Missouri last week, they challenged the faithful to extend their hearts and homes to the "least of these" through the "Family Life Campaign."
The church shared that black women generally have high rates of abortion, and this is why it is important for their members to save the lives of the unborn by adopting them.
"Some 3,446 African-Americans were lynched in the U.S. between 1882 and 1968," the church announced. "That number is surpassed in less than three days by abortion in the African-American community."
Bishop Vincent Mathews said at least 10 percent of COGIC members, including retired couples, should each adopt a child of a pregnant mother or adopt a child who is currently in the foster care system.
When church members do this, Matthews believes that communities would be safer and people would get to express their faith in God. People will need to rely on the "supernatural power of God," he said, adding that with God, all things are possible.
"Do you really love God?" Mathews preached during the convocation. "Do you really want to serve him? Well, it's not just about coming to a convention looking good. It's about going home, rolling up your sleeves, and taking care of a child who may have been born addicted to drugs."
"And now love that child," Mathews said. "Stay up all night. Love on that child until he's right. Now, now you are really serving God."
Reverend Dean Nelson, who is the national outreach director of Online for Life, also said that the initiative of the church's Family Life Campaign has already spilled over from their denomination.
"It is no surprise that COGIC has launched this initiative. They have not only remained consistent to biblical teaching on the issues of abortion but have been the most outspoken of any black denomination in this county," he said.
Nelson praised "the fastest growing African-American denomination in the country" for showing "willingness to work with white Evangelicals and Catholics on a host of issues affecting the black family."
"It is my hope that other African-American church leaders will follow suit," he said.
