A pastor has ridden his bicycle across America in an attempt to raise A$1.5 million to support those he calls “abortion vulnerable women.”
60-year-old Pastor Jay Stewart’s Life Ride covered more than 5,000 kilometres from California to South Carolina, in just under 50 days with the objective to “empower the church” to be a “voice for the voiceless.”
The leader of The Refuge Church in Kannapolis, North Carolina has worked with Love Life Ministries to hold rallies in most towns and cities along his ride. The group seeks to “engage the church across America, across all denominations to build a culture of love and life [and] to see an end to abortion and the orphan crisis.”
Pastor Stewart is hoping he can help Love Life expand from the 20 cities where the organisation currently operates to many more locations. The organisation works through so-called ‘House of Refuge’ churches that help women facing unplanned pregnancies.
“It’s been amazing to see the body of Christ around this as I journeyed across the nation. We’ve held rallies in places like Phoenix and Albuquerque; in Riverside, California; in Fort Worth, Texas; Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta Georgia. It’s been a great opportunity,” the cycling preacher observed.
Faithwire reports the money raised will go to churches helping pregnant women who choose to keep their babies. At last report, the fundraiser was three quarters of the way towards its goal.
Pastor Stewart completed his epic ride just before the first anniversary of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade precedent on national abortion law. “It was humongous, but the battle did not end there. In fact, it ramped up. It went to another level now,” he expounded.
“We’re not going to remain silent on this. I believe that this is not a political issue. This is a moral and a spiritual issue, and I think it’s the greatest moral dilemma of our day.”
Pastor Stewart said God had given him “supernatural strength” to pedal across the nation and make such a positive impact. “It’s been the hardest thing physically and mentally I’ve ever done in my life, but it has also been the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done,” he reflected.
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