PRC's John McCastle Called to Serve as President of Alliance for Life

PRC’s John McCastle Called to Serve

as President of Alliance for Life - MO

By Jim Day

John McCastle the Executive Director of the Pregnancy Resource Centers of Greater St. Louis (PRC) has announced that he will be stepping down from his position with the PRC to take on a new and exciting challenge as the new President and CEO of Alliance For Life – Missouri, Inc. (AFL-MO). For those not

familiar with the Alliance For Life, it is a biblically based, Christ centered ministry headquartered in Jefferson City, MO that exists to promote, unite, and expand the work of pro-life organizations and their efforts across the State of Missouri. John will be assuming his new post on September 1st.

As readers of the MetroVoice know, we have always been ardent supporters of the pro-life movement and have done everything within our power to assist the many ministries on the front lines of the battle to save the unborn. In learning of John’s new calling, it was my pleasure and honor to interview him about his past, present and future endeavors in his service to the Lord.

In the following interview, my questions are bolded.

John how did you first get involved with the pregnancy center ministry?

Well Jim, my first contact with this type of ministry was 20 years ago when a pregnancy center director came to the church we were attending and presented the ministry and the need for volunteers and financial supporters. Robin, my wife, suggested on our way home that she felt the call to volunteer so she could tell women not to do what she had done. When she was 19 years old, she had a relationship that led to an unplanned pregnancy. When the father of the child recommended having the baby aborted, she followed his advice and went to Planned Parenthood for the abortion. Knowing the pain, suffering, loss, and guilt of the decision, she hoped to be used by God to encourage other women not to abort their children. Three years after she began volunteering, I became more involved in the ministry by serving on

John McCastle

the board of directors and several months after that became the Executive Director of Alternatives of Kalamazoo Crisis Pregnancy Center. We served in that capacity for the next seven years before coming to St. Louis.

So, what brought you to St. Louis?

After serving for seven years in Kalamazoo, we knew that God was leading us to another challenge. We prayed through the feelings and had confirmation that we were to relocate somewhere. We sold our home, moved to a rental and waited on the Lord. Through a mutual friend, I heard that the center in St. Louis was seeking an executive director and called to get more information. That led to a resume, interviews and several months later a call to come to St. Louis. We have been here since January of 1996.

How did the St. Louis pregnancy center get started? What did it look like when you arrived in 1996?

The pregnancy center in St. Louis started in 1984 through the leadership of Mary Nelson and several others that she found with the same commitment for the unborn. Through their coming together for prayer and action, the Pregnancy Resource Center became a reality. The Crisis Pregnancy Center, as it was called then, began a journey of providing free pregnancy testing, counseling, post abortion counseling, and Gospel presentations in a single location and later expanded to four sites. Don Riker was the first full time executive director and led the ministry through some very turbulent times. As Don was making plans to move to Pennsylvania in 1995 to a teaching ministry, the Crisis Pregnancy Center ministry was going through some very difficult times as finances were going down, internal strife was going up, and cutbacks were the order of the day. One center was closed, another scheduled to close, and resources were being allocated out to keep things going.

What is the current status of the PRC in 2004?

Jim, the Lord has abundantly blessed this ministry. He has brought healing and restoration both internally and externally. The support has grown to provide for seven area outreach centers with the eighth opening in Wentzville, MO in July or August of this year. Services have increased from providing the original pregnancy testing, counseling, post abortion counseling and Gospel presentations to providing educational ultrasounds, abstinence education, pregnancy loss and post abortion counseling and education, resource programs that teach parenting and birthing classes, and providing the basic necessities for mothers in need such as maternity and infant clothing, car seats, baby beds, strollers, diapers, etc. Each center has its own ultrasound machine so the moms and dads can watch their unborn child, or children, audition for their own lives. Most recently, we have added a new program called Mentoring Men where older men are being trained to work with the young men friends of our clients to teach them the reality of what it means to be a man, father and hopefully husband. Two years ago the ministry entered into a capital campaign which allowed the purchase of the permanent facility on Lindell Boulevard which houses our administration, Central West End out reach center, chapel, resource room and future classroom and kitchen where daily life skills will be taught. Jim, the Gospel is mentioned as part of the programs offered at the PRC, but I want to emphasize that the Gospel is the core of all we do at the PRC and without it; we would not exist as a ministry but would be a Band-Aid on the problems of our society. Jesus is the real answer for personal issues, and all the issues of life. I believe we could provide every physical need of our clients, but if we did not share the truth of Jesus Christ we would not have really helped at all.

As you know John when you first mentioned to me on the phone that you were leaving the PRC I was in shock. So tell me, what led you to this decision?

As you’ll recall, I mentioned earlier that Robin and I heard a calling from the Lord which brought us to St. Louis? Well, another challenge has been placed on our hearts from the Lord and that challenge is to provide a way of uniting pro-life ministries throughout the state of Missouri. Prayerfully, this will be accomplished through the Alliance For Life organization which I will be working for full time starting in September.

So tell me, how did the Alliance For Life get started? What are its goals and where will your center of operations be located?

The AFL-MO is a relatively new ministry that has been in the process of coming together over the past 5 years. It was incorporated two years ago and has recently received its 501 (c) (3) status as a non-profit corporation. An annual state conference was the beginning of the AFL-MO where we were able to invite all of the centers in Missouri to bring their staff and volunteers together for spiritual refreshment, encouragement, in-service training, and fellowship. There was an agreement that this was a vital service and that it needed to continue and expand. We have added an annual AFL-MO Legislative Day where all the pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies in Missouri are invited to come to Jefferson City to set up displays of their agencies on the third floor rotunda of the capital building. Legislators are then invited to come by and see who we are and what we are doing in their areas. This is not lobbying, but offering legislator’s information about the services offered, clients served and how much money we are saving the taxpayers of Missouri. There are approximately 26 pregnancy centers in the state. The State Department of Health, from its 2001 data, shows a reported 12 thousand plus abortions are performed each year. Just think if there were 53 centers or 106 centers how many fewer abortions there would be. I believe a significant way of reducing the number of abortions in Missouri is through increasing the number of centers and offering more opportunities and alternatives to abortion. With 26 centers, the Gospel is presented every time a client is open to hearing it. Just think of how many more times the Gospel could be presented and heard if the number of centers were doubled or tripled! With less than half of the centers having ultrasound, just think of how many babies could audition for their own lives if all of the centers had an ultrasound machine. Raising funds to provide grants for starting new centers and obtaining ultrasound machines is another goal of the Alliance. The AFL-MO started offering classes this year to train nurses to do the limited first trimester ultrasounds for the centers who have ultrasound machines. Encouraging centers to add additional locations and ultrasound services, encouraging communities that do not have pregnancy centers to establish them, and to provide consulting services to all of the pregnancy centers are all goals of the AFL-MO. The main office for the Alliance is located in Jefferson City where it is centrally located in the state to serve its affiliated members.

Tell me more about the state conference, how does that unite efforts?

When I became involved with the pregnancy center in Michigan, one of my first realizations was that I was pretty much alone. Finding a center close enough to fellowship with, learn from or encourage was difficult. It is unusual for centers to be located very close together because there is no need to compete. If they are close together, fear of not having enough volunteers and finances tends to keep them apart emotionally. There are several national organizations to affiliate with, but it is difficult to connect with someone in another state or part of the country. We were unable to get a state conference started in Michigan, so when I came to Missouri I tried again. Getting folks together for a state conference was difficult here too, not because folks didn’t want to, but getting the volunteers together to make it happen was a challenge. The challenge was met and for five years in a row, the state conference has ministered to pregnancy center, maternity home, and adoption agency staff and volunteers. We have a keynote speaker to provide spiritual encouragement and challenge for all of the attendees during general sessions. Praise and worship teams minister through music each morning and before each general session. Individual workshops cover topics such as: Presenting the Gospel in the Counseling Room, Adoption Instead of Abortion, Board Roles and Responsibilities, Legislative Issues, Legal Reporting Responsibilities, Long Range Planning, Putting the Fun Back Into Fundraising, Marketing, Abstinence, Post Abortion and Education, etc. Workshop presenters are the agency staff and volunteers where these programs are operational and doing well, while staff and volunteers from other centers can be encouraged and learn from them. Aside from the learning and sharing, one of the most valuable reasons for gathering together at the state conference is the fellowship and companionship found by those attending. Getting to know others who are involved in the same efforts, praying for each other, and encouraging each other is crucial. The Bible talks much about sharing each other’s burdens and being there for each other. This is a reality at these conferences.

How can people get more information or get personally involved with Alliance for Life-Missouri?

If anyone wants more information I can be reached at (573) 636-7675, or e-mail at afl-mo@earthlink.net. Because the Alliance For Life is just getting started with offering extensive statewide services, funding for the Alliance is critical. Anyone with a heart for increasing the pro-life efforts on a statewide level can make a difference by supporting the Alliance through prayer, financial and volunteer support. Just as a heads up, the Alliance will be sponsoring the first Annual AFL-MO Bass Tournament at Table Rock Lake next Spring. I know you like to fish Jim, so I hope you’ll be able to join us.

Well, John, I’ll try to make it. In closing, I think I can speak for a lot of folks here in the St. Louis Christian community when I say that our prayers will be with you and Robin in your new endeavor and pray that our Lord Jesus will continue to bless your ministry to His glory.