“People don’t come in Asking for the Gospel, They come in for a Pregnancy Test!” Feminizing Evangelism in Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Abstract

Led by women, faith-based pregnancy centers constitute the largest segment of the movement to oppose abortion in the United States. These centers provide services for women (e.g., options counseling and ultrasounds) but face criticism for offering assistance motivated and shaped by conservative religious views. In this article, I explore how evangelical staff at two faith-based centers in the western United States conceptualize their work as religious practice and reimagine “doing” evangelism. I draw upon observational, interview, and textual data to show how gender shapes the definition, expression, and affective nature of evangelism. In “feminizing evangelism,” the centers challenge established evangelical practice to “share the gospel,” which necessitates spiritual regulation, a distinct form of emotional labor. In highlighting the emotional complexity of gendering religious practices, this article contributes to scholarly conversations at the intersection of gender, religion, and emotion.

“It Wasn’t Very Public-Clinicy”: Client Experiences at Faith-Based Pregnancy Centers

“…In emphasizing the “softer side” of care (Hutchens 2022; Kelly 2012), pregnancy centers leverage affective care to maintain and advance their legitimacy among clients and supporters. This strategy is effective even in the face of ruptures in care.…”

“…Pregnancy centers are not full-spectrum health care facilities, and the vast majority do not offer prenatal or postpartum services or gynecological or obstetric care. Instead, centers—most of which are evangelical Christian and a number of which are Catholic—render services that align with their religious worldview and exclude care and referrals for abortion or contraception while promoting “sexual integrity” or “sexual risk avoidance” (endorsements for abstinence outside of heterosexual marriage and “natural family planning” within it; Hutchens 2022; Kelly 2012).…”

“…Pregnancy centers, also called crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) or pregnancy resource centers, are faith-based nonprofits that represent a unique movement within the antiabortion movement (Kelly 2012; Munson 2009). Centers offer free, practical resources—like urine pregnancy tests, options counseling, limited obstetric ultrasounds, and material services (e.g., diapers, clothing, strollers; Hutchens 2022; Kelly 2012)—alongside counsel intended to enable pregnant women to “choose life for their unborn children” (Care Net n.d.-b).…”