Held October 8, 2026, at Shady Oaks Country Club, the luncheon featured Catherine Herring and Pastor Lance Cashion, whose personal testimonies highlighted the importance of protecting unborn life, supporting vulnerable women and offering hope after abortion.
The gathering celebrated Council for Life’s Greater Fort Worth affiliate and encouraged churches, donors and community leaders to help build a culture of life through practical service.
Expanding Council for Life’s Mission to Greater Fort Worth
Founded in 2001, Council for Life is a Christian organization that educates and equips women, men and young people to make life-affirming decisions. The luncheon celebrated the establishment of Council for Life’s Greater Fort Worth affiliate, expanding the organization’s longstanding work in Dallas and Waco.
Council for Life and its affiliates have raised and distributed more than $20 million to over 90 life-affirming nonprofits. These organizations provide pregnancy services, maternity housing and assistance, adoption and foster care support, parenting education, youth mentoring and post-abortion counseling.
The Greater Fort Worth affiliate builds on that work by connecting local resources with organizations serving women and families in Tarrant, Denton and surrounding counties.
While Texas has enacted some of the nation’s strongest pro-life laws, Council for Life leaders emphasized that the work of protecting unborn life is far from over. Since the Dobbs decision, nine states and Washington, D.C. have moved to no statutory gestational limit on abortion, meaning their laws do not establish a cutoff based on the stage of pregnancy.
Catherine Herring Shares Her Story of Abortion Pill Coercion
Guest speaker Catherine Herring shared her harrowing experience of discovering that her husband had secretly administered the abortion pill to her while she was pregnant in 2022.
Over the course of 39 days, Herring said her husband attempted to end her pregnancy seven times without her knowledge or consent. After becoming suspicious, she worked with a private investigator and law enforcement to gather evidence. Her daughter survived.
Herring used her experience to raise concerns about federal oversight of the abortion pill and the potential for these drugs to be used without a woman’s knowledge or consent.
“The number one thing we all can do immediately is put pressure on the FDA to reinstate the safeguards and ask for women at the very least to have a physician partnership when there’s a prescription for abortion pills,” Herring told attendees.
In December 2021, the FDA announced it would remove the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone, a change formally approved on January 3, 2023. Under the revised regulations, abortion medication can be prescribed without an in-person medical appointment, although certified prescribers and other federal safeguards remain required.
Herring urged greater protections for women, particularly in situations involving coercion or abuse. Her testimony also addressed the financial and emotional vulnerability women can experience during difficult pregnancies, emphasizing the importance of practical assistance and community support.
Pastor Lance Cashion on Faith, Forgiveness, and the Value of Life
Pastor Lance Cashion shared his own testimony, recounting how he pressured his girlfriend into having an abortion while they were in college. He described years of guilt, substance abuse, and emotional suffering before finding healing through his faith and the guidance of his church.
That experience eventually led him into pro-life ministry, where he began helping others understand the value of human life and the importance of extending compassion to those affected by abortion.
Cashion challenged Christians and churches to become more involved in serving single mothers, children, and families facing difficult circumstances.
He emphasized that every person is created in God’s image and possesses inherent worth and dignity, regardless of age, circumstances, or ability.
“If you want to change the world, do what’s right in front of you first,” Cashion told attendees.
His message encouraged Christians to recognize opportunities within their own churches and communities to provide practical help, mentorship, and support to families in need.
Why Fort Worth Still Needs Pregnancy and Family Support
Texas’s pro-life protections have not eliminated the need for pregnancy resources, family assistance and post-abortion support.
2025 research from the Guttmacher Institute estimated that approximately 42,000 Texans accessed telehealth abortion care through shield-law providers, while nearly 23,000 traveled to other states for abortion care.
These figures reinforce the importance of reaching women and families with life-affirming resources, compassionate relationships and practical alternatives.
The luncheon’s testimonies also highlighted needs that extend beyond pregnancy: protection from coercion, support for fathers, and opportunities for forgiveness and healing after abortion.
Patriot Mobile Supports the Sanctity of Life
Defending the sanctity of life is one of Patriot Mobile’s foundational commitments.
Council for Life’s work demonstrates how local partnerships can strengthen support for mothers, fathers, children and families. Through its Greater Fort Worth affiliate, the organization is bringing donors, churches, volunteers and service providers together to meet those needs.
Patriot Mobile encourages those who share this commitment to learn about local pregnancy resources, support life-affirming organizations and find practical ways to serve families in their communities.
To learn more about Council for Life, its Greater Fort Worth affiliate and opportunities to donate or volunteer, visit CouncilForLife.org.
