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Written by Charlotte Smith

The Mercy House Pregnancy Center’s inaugural Spring Banquet was held on Thursday, March 14, 2024, at The Venue at White Lake, NC. There were over 150 people in attendance to support the non-profit’s mission to “physically, emotionally, and spiritually minister to women in crisis pregnancies through the truth and love of Jesus Christ.”

Megan J. Knight, Director of Mercy House Pregnancy Center, was pleased with the event’s success, saying, “It was fantastic!”

Reverend Johnathan Hayes, the Pastor at Wesley’s Chapel Church in Elizabethtown, offered an invocation for the event. Pastor Hayes says he supports the Mercy House PRC because it serves as a voice for those without a voice. “I feel like it helps young mothers by supporting them, coming alongside them, and encouraging them when they have feelings of rejection, confusion, and nowhere to turn. It’s a safe house for young people to feel the love of God.”

During the dinner, guest speaker Rebekah Carpenter, Director of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Wadesboro, spoke about the importance of reaching young mothers. Carpenter has a personal understanding of the significance of pregnancy resource centers. As a teenager, she found herself pregnant and uncertain about the decisions she faced. However, after visiting a local pregnancy center, her perspective changed because she found encouragement and support and heard her baby’s heartbeat.

Reflecting on a poignant statistic given at the event, Rev. Hayes shared that over 80% of mothers who have the privilege of hearing their child’s heartbeat choose not to terminate the pregnancy. In his own words, he expressed, “Once a mom hears the heartbeat, it changes the whole story.”

The local non-profit has set a goal to acquire an ultrasound machine by 2025 to enhance its services for expectant mothers. Additionally, they seek to increase their marketing efforts to connect with more young women early in pregnancy.

Studies indicate that individuals experience extended lifespans, reduced stress levels, and enhanced financial stability within a supportive family unit characterized by the presence of married parents, jointly managing household responsibilities and collaborating in raising their children.

Knight provided an update during the event, highlighting the successes achieved by Mercy House PRC over the past year. Notably, they have counseled over 35 women, leading to one individual embracing Christ Jesus as their Lord and another couple deciding to marry before the arrival of their baby following counseling sessions. Offering a variety of classes, including prenatal care, trimester expectations, bonding techniques, childbirth, and parenting; Mercy House PRC also provides pregnancy tests, material assistance, and post-abortion support, all at no cost to the families they serve.

Relying on donations from generous sponsors, Mercy House PRC surpassed its fundraising goal at a banquet, raising over $21,000 compared to the initial target of $15,000. Expressing gratitude, Knight exclaimed, “We made over $21,000. The Lord is so amazing!”

Knight added, “We do want to thank all our sponsors and the people who attended the event because we would not be able to meet our goals without them.”

Donations are welcome at any time through their website at give.conerstone.cc/mercyhouseprc or via mail at P.O. Box 314, Elizabethtown, NC, 28337.

Located at 501 Doctors Drive in Elizabethtown, Mercy House PRC welcomes inquiries about their services or volunteering opportunities by phone at 910-549-4347 or via email at themercyhouseprc@gmail.com. Further details can be found on their website at www.mercyhouseprc.org.