Birth Choice in Encinitas closes

By BECKY DOBBINS

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to search and a time to give up searching; a time to gather stones and a time to scatter them.”

— Ecclesiastes 3

“‘See, I am doing a new thing,’ says the Lord.” — Isaiah 43:19

There is a new season and a new thing occurring at Birth Choice of Encinitas. Our board and staff have been raising funds, recruiting personnel and taking training to convert to a licensed medical clinic in order to offer first-trimester ultrasound and nurse consultations to abortion-vulnerable women. Many supporters caught the vision and gave generously. But after two years of prayer and promotion, the level of funds necessary to open and operate a medical clinic has not been generated.

GUEST COMMENT

Maintaining Birth Choice as the pregnancy help center, as it has always been, has needed careful evaluation. The decline in the number of women coming for help has continued despite increased advertising, speaking and student outreach. Most clients have come from Oceanside or Vista, not the immediate north coastal community. Most have not been abortion-minded; they needed advice and material help. Our statistics reveal that crisis pregnancy services are no longer needed in the San Dieguito area.

After much prayer, fact-finding and soul-searching, the board has determined that God is leading us to close the Encinitas office of Birth Choice, and to merge our ministry with those of Birth Choice of San Marcos and the Pregnancy Resource Center of Oceanside. The latter is a licensed medical clinic that is providing ultrasounds.

In the past three years, our speaking outreach has been more effective than our crisis pregnancy ministry. Many teens and college-age women in the San Dieguito area use birth control and are not getting pregnant. But they are experiencing all the negative consequences of premarital sex: disease, loss of self-esteem, broken hearts, and alienation from parents and God. They need education, repentance, hope and practical strategies to live a chaste life, not crisis pregnancy services. We are happy to report that our speakers team will continue speaking through the San Marcos office. This is a win-win development for everyone.

Another encouraging factor in our decision was the recent closing of the local Planned Parenthood. Opening in February 1998, the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in the Scripps medical complex in Encinitas now posts this sign on its door:

“THIS CLINIC WILL BE PERMANENTLY CLOSED AFTER NOVEMBER 19, 2003”

Many of you have prayed fervently for this. We have not learned what reason Planned Parenthood gave for closing. As far as we knew, business was brisk. We do know they broke a 16-year lease to leave. A nurse told us the hospital administration received numerous e-mails and calls from residents expressing displeasure and disdain that a family community like Encinitas should have an abortion-only facility on the same premises as the prestigious Scripps Hospital. Whatever the reason, Encinitas is now a far friendlier place for unborn children and their mothers.

Our board and staff expected at least some of the clinic-bound women to come to nearby Birth Choice for help. That did not happen.

Birth Choice of Encinitas is deeply grateful to God and to our supporters for 13 years of wonderful pro-life ministry in the San Dieguito area. I looked through our files and photo albums recently and re-read case histories and thank-you notes. I was filled with joy at remembering Linda, Anna, Kathy, Joe and Patty, Lisa, Jenny, Marlee, Maria and many others whose children would have perished in brutal abortion procedures if they had not come to Birth Choice. I’m so glad we — and you — were there when they were in despair. That was God’s time for our center to be open to serve.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who leads His sheep (Psalm 23, John 10). We are convinced that it is our Shepherd’s leading to close the Encinitas office. The result will be more efficient, more effective pro-life and pro-abstinence ministry in our larger community.

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Becky Dobbins is director of Birth Choice in Encinitas.