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PlainSpokenPlainSpoken is an effort to 1) make sense of modern Methodism 2) through a conservative/traditionalist lens while 3) speaking plainly, honestly, and transparently 4) to disinfect the dark places with the light of God's truth. Author: Jeffrey Rickman
This is a podcast aimed at shining light in dark places, particularly those dealing with American Methodism and Christianity broadly. plainspokenpod.substack.com Language: en Genres: News, News Commentary, Religion & Spirituality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Pregnancy Resource Centers - A Conversation with Joel Webb
Saturday, 6 June, 2026
The conversation centers on the theological and moral stakes of abortion, framed primarily through the lens of Joel Webb’s experience as a Free Methodist clergy member working four days a week at Spero Pregnancy Center in Port Huron, Michigan. Webb, a dual Canadian-American citizen who grew up as a theological minority in a politically liberal country, traces his commitment to the pro-life cause back to a foundational conviction: that human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and that every other moral and social question presupposes that someone is alive to ask it. He draws a direct line from Canada’s increasingly permissive approach to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) — now accounting for 5.1% of annual deaths in Canada — back to the same secular materialism that underlies abortion, arguing that a culture which does not value life at its beginning will not value it at its end either.A substantial portion of the conversation addresses the practical and pastoral dimensions of the issue. Webb pushes back on the idea that abortion is a “women’s issue” from which men should recuse themselves, arguing that a father’s presence and commitment is actually the single greatest factor in whether a woman chooses life — a point illustrated by a client case in which a couple nearly chose abortion simply because each assumed the other wanted it. He also challenges the tendency of churches to avoid the topic out of a desire not to offend, characterizing this as an abdication of pastoral responsibility. At the same time, he insists that preaching against abortion and extending grace to those who have had one must go hand in hand — that abortion is not an unforgivable sin, and that post-abortive men and women carry real grief that the church has a responsibility to address.The conversation closes with practical direction for listeners: connect with and financially support your local pregnancy resource center, volunteer, and pray. Webb emphasizes that most pregnancy resource centers are entirely donor-funded precisely so they can retain the freedom to share the gospel with clients. He frames these centers not merely as social services but as front-line missionary outposts in communities, meeting people at one of the most consequential decision points of their lives.Resources* Spero Pregnancy Center (Port Huron, Michigan) — Joel Webb’s workplace; www.bluewaterbabies.org* joelvwebb.com — Joel Webb’s personal website where he writes and publishes* Free Methodist Church in Canada (FMCIC) — produced a five-part video study series called Dying Well, addressing end-of-life care and Medical Assistance in Dying* Live Action — produces educational videos including the Baby Olivia and Baby Oliver animated fetal development videos, as well as abortion procedure videos narrated by former abortion providers; liveaction.org* Choice42 — Canadian YouTube channel producing pro-life content, including videos on the dangers of mail-order abortion pills and the link between abortion and vaccine/medical research* Love Life — ministry operating sidewalk missionaries outside abortion clinics and organizing “houses of refuge” churches to receive and disciple women who choose life; lovelife.org* Heartbeat International — national/international pregnancy center affiliation providing training, resources, and connection; heartbeatinternational.org* CareNet — second major national/international pregnancy center affiliation with resources for individuals and churches; care-net.org Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe
