The 60-second radio ads get right to the point.

“At age 18, I had an abortion,” says one. “My boyfriend made the decision. I felt I didn't have a choice. The thoughts of grief and torment consumed me for 18 years.”

Another says: “I wasn't supposed to be here. Conceived in an act of infidelity, my father wanted me aborted. Thankfully, my mother chose life. Please choose adoption, not abortion.”

Listeners can hear these pro-life messages and others like them on central Minnesota's Spirit 93 KKJM-FM more than 30 times each week.

All of the announcements, 24 to date, were produced by the St. Cloud area Contemporary Christian music station as part of a year-long pro-life radio campaign. The effort, headed by station general manager Andy Hilger, has brought together 23 different pro-life organizations — many for the very first time.

“The idea,” explained Hilger, “was first brought up by radio station manager Vern Menning during a brainstorming session at the station. He was aware of a similar effort that took place in South Dakota 10-20 years ago.” Hilger donated the station to the Diocese of St. Cloud in 1999, but has remained on as its general manager.

He also enlisted the assistance of Linda Allen, executive director of Birthline, to draw up a list of central Minnesota pro-life organizations. “We mapped out Spirit 93's listenership, came up with an original list of about a dozen organizations,” said Allen, “and invited them to our first meeting last September.”

“The nice thing about the variety of agencies represented is that they are primarily grassroots efforts responding to specific needs,” explained Hilger.

For example, the consortium includes such organizations as Birthline, which provides support and services for anyone facing an unexpected pregnancy; New Beginnings, which offers a place of residence for women after their babies are born; Single Parent Support Group, which offers support for those who decide to keep their babies; and Project Rachel, which counsels women dealing with the aftereffects of abortion.

The consortium also includes such diverse groups as Lutherans for Life, Feminists for Life, and Teen Moms.

Each of the organizations recorded two spots. One ad tells listeners about their agency; the other is a first-person testimonial. The ads first started airing in December.

‘I Am Adopted, Not Aborted’

High school freshman Anne Balkany recorded an advertisement in support of adoption on behalf of Lutherans for Life. “I am adopted and I am thankful that my parents gave me the gift of life. A baby is a life, not a choice,” she says in her message.

Balkany was asked to record a spot as the result of a pro-life speech she gave in 7th grade. She said she felt motivated to record it based upon her own experiences. “As someone who has been adopted I wanted to let people know that there are different alternatives. There are so many people waiting to adopt children,” she said.

Funding for the broadcasting of the messages came in part from a $12,000 challenge grant established by the Spirit Fund, a component fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation of St. Cloud. The Spirit Fund's charitable mission is to promote Christian values. Hilger and Allen then presented the concept to potential financial supporters.

As a result, the pro-life consortium has raised $5,000 of their $12,000 matching goal to finance the ad campaign. “We went ahead with the campaign, but we still need to raise about $7,000,” commented Hilger

Sum vs. Parts

“The consortium has allowed us to be a greater force than we really are,” commented Julie Blonigen, executive director of the Human Life Action Council. “The advantage of the consortium is that we can be what we are. We are not being asked to change our identity.”

“The diversity represented by the consortium demonstrates the real strength of the pro-life movement. We are not single-issue people. One group tries to protect souls, another helps them to be chaste, another assists them if they get p r e g n a n t , another takes care of them after the birth of the child, and if they do not follow our advice Project Rachel takes care of them. Our groups do not say, ‘You follow what we say or we abandon you.’ Rather, they try to help them before and they pick up the pieces after. We care for the whole person, whether they do what we ask them to or not. That is Christianity.”

In the first months of the campaign, Hilger said that a number of listeners and business people have commented positively about the announcements.

Retired banking administrator Hub Levandowski said the ads cover everything “form abstinence education to crisis pregnancy and post-abortion counseling.”

“I have heard almost all of the ads,” he said.

“The one by the young man who was nearly aborted made the hair on my neck stand on end.”