“I am not speaking on behalf of Liberty and Prosperity or the Galloway School Board, however, I am speaking as a Grandmother, mother and citizen of America, all these opinions are my own. Thank you”
THE ELECTION IS OVER, BUT OUR MISSION IS NOT!
This Is Not the Time to Be Discouraged. It Is Time to Stand in the Gap!
By Ethel Hermenau | Pro-Life Ministry, United For Life Coalition
How much longer will God allow America to destroy its own children and call it good?
That question has been weighing heavily on my heart following this week’s elections.
Across New Jersey, we witnessed heartbreaking election losses, including public servants who have stood for faith, family, patriotism, and the sanctity of human life. Many of us also lost our school board races, including me. Good men and men that were excellent at their jobs, like Congressman Van Drew, Sheriff Joseph O’Donough, Atlantic County Clerk, Joseph Giralo, Commissioner John Risley and the list goes on.
But for me, I have peace about my election. Throughout this journey, I prayed that God’s will, not mine, would be done. Perhaps He is redirecting my steps toward the pro-life ministry that has been so close to my heart for more than 15 years.
One thing I know for certain: This is not the time for Christians to retreat in discouragement. It is time to pray, engage, and stand in the gap! We need Repentance in this Nation if we are going to have favor from God! Instead the people choose to go down a wider road to destruction. May God forgive us and have mercy on this Land.
When Did Taking Innocent Life Become Reproductive Healthcare?
For years, I have shared my personal testimony at churches throughout New Jersey, speaking about the Sanctity of human life, the tragedy of abortion, and the forgiveness and healing found in Jesus Christ.
There is something I often say when I speak:
“They wrap it up in a pretty bow and call it reproductive rights, but it is a death sentence to the baby and a sin for the mother and father.”
I believe this sin can leave years of anguish — emotionally, physically, and most certainly spiritually. I have seen how deeply abortion can affect individuals and families, sometimes for years afterward.
Not everyone experiences abortion in the same way, but for those who carry grief, guilt, or regret, there must always be a message of hope.
There is forgiveness in Jesus Christ. There is healing. There is redemption.
My heart breaks not only for the unborn child but also for the mothers and fathers who may spend years struggling with decisions they cannot undo.
We must speak the truth as we understand it, but always with the love and compassion of Christ.
As Isaiah 5:20 reminds us:
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.”
Are We Becoming a Culture of Death?
How extreme are we becoming as a nation? In California, AB 2223 sparked serious controversy over its language concerning deaths during the perinatal period, which under some definitions extends up to 28 days after birth. It doesn’t even feel like this could be true it is so evil!
In Minnesota, a 2023 law removed the explicit requirement that medical personnel take reasonable measures to preserve the life and health of a baby born alive, replacing it with a requirement to provide care. Although newborns retain legal protections, I believe these changes raise deeply troubling questions about how we value and protect our most vulnerable children. How did we reach a point where the protection of innocent newborn lives has become such a controversial issue?
Are we becoming so desensitized to the killing of innocent children that our own children are growing up in what can only be described as a culture of death? There are far too many heartbreaking stories of newborn babies being abandoned or killed. Here is just one: In Alabama, an 18-year-old mother placed her newborn baby boy in a duffel bag and discarded him in a dumpster connected to a trash compactor. That precious child died. In September 2026, she pleaded guilty to capital murder. What is happening to the hearts of our people? How have we become so hardened toward the most innocent and defenseless among us? Every child is created in the image of God, and every life is precious. We cannot allow our hearts to grow cold or become indifferent to such tragedies. As Christians, we must stand in the gap, speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, and bring hope to a generation growing up surrounded by a culture that too often fails to value life.
New Jersey: An Abortion Sanctuary State
New Jersey has established some of the broadest abortion protections in the nation.
Governor Phil Murphy signed the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, protecting abortion rights under state law. New Jersey does not establish a specific statutory gestational limit on abortion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSP-74pqJJg
The state has also enacted what are commonly called abortion shield laws, protecting patients and healthcare providers from certain investigations and legal actions originating in states where abortion is restricted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsAyT2MDlaw
New Jersey permits people from other states to obtain abortions here, including those traveling from states with abortion bans.
And now abortion pills are available through telehealth appointments, with medication mailed directly to New Jersey addresses.
Think about that.
A woman can obtain abortion medication without an in-person medical appointment, through a virtual consultation.
Supporters describe this as expanding healthcare access. But as someone who has devoted years to protecting unborn life, I believe we must also ask whether women are receiving sufficient information, personal support, and opportunities to consider alternatives.
Where is our commitment to helping women choose life? Where are the resources, encouragement, and support that could help a frightened mother see another way forward?
S2260 and the Future of Peaceful Sidewalk Advocacy (this video is urgent- it starts out with interference starts out as a 4th degree crime which could be up to 18 months in prison and up to $10,000 in fines) and it gets worse – please watch)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlMkYnCpByI
In August 2026, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed S2260 into law, expanding protections for people accessing reproductive healthcare facilities and the providers who serve them.
The law establishes penalties for certain actions involving threats, intimidation, physical obstruction, and interference with access to reproductive healthcare.
Although the law does not prohibit peaceful prayer or respectful conversation, its enforcement raises concerns among those of us who have spent years peacefully ministering outside abortion facilities.
I have stood on those sidewalks. I have prayed. I have offered women hope, encouragement, and information about alternatives. See the NJ State site below.
https://www.nj.gov/health/reproductivehealth/know-your-rights/
(The State’s website outlines all your rights, but at the bottom, it explains how to file a discrimination complaint with the County Prosecutor’s Office if you believe your rights have been violated. Does anyone else find this alarming? The fact that the County Prosecutor’s Office is mentioned should give us reason to pause and ask questions.)
Peacefully offering help to a woman in crisis is not violence. Prayer is not intimidation. Compassion should never be treated as a crime.
We must understand these laws, protect lawful peaceful advocacy, and ensure that women who want alternatives to abortion can still hear that help is available.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers Need Our Support
New Jersey has also increased scrutiny of crisis pregnancy centers, including through consumer warnings, investigations, and proposed legislation concerning their services and disclosures.
The state says these measures are intended to prevent misleading information. But supporters of pregnancy resource centers have raised concerns about government overreach, religious freedom, and the ability of these organizations to operate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqhVXDABu3c
Many pregnancy resource centers provide free pregnancy tests, baby clothing, diapers, parenting resources, counseling, and practical assistance to families.
I know firsthand how important it is to help a mother who is struggling financially, emotionally, or spiritually.
We cannot simply tell a woman to choose life and then walk away. We must be willing to help her choose life and support her afterward.
That is what being pro-life means to me.
From the unborn child to the struggling mother, struggling Father, from the newborn baby to the child in the classroom, every life deserves our compassion and concern.
What Are We Teaching Our Children?
As a member of the Galloway Township Board of Education, I have become increasingly concerned about what children are being taught and whether parents fully understand the curriculum.
Under New Jersey’s eighth-grade Comprehensive Health and Physical Education standards, students are expected to learn about pregnancy options, including parenting, adoption, and abortion.
The state standards also address contraception, reproductive health, and sexual decision-making.
I believe parents should know exactly what materials are being used, how abortion is being presented, and whether their family’s religious and moral beliefs are being respected.
When abortion is discussed as a reproductive healthcare option, are our children also being taught about the development of human life, the responsibilities of parenthood, and the value of every child?
These are questions parents have every right to ask.
My years of being a leader of a prolife ministry in South Jersey has taught me that;
When I speak about abortion, too often I encounter silence. Yet when I speak about parental rights, school curriculum, and protecting children in our classrooms, people become much more engaged.
That is why I have always believed these issues belong together.
From the womb to the classroom, every child matters!
Where Are the Christians Willing to Stand in the Gap?
For more than 15 years, I have prayed outside abortion facilities, organized pro-life events, spoken in churches, and worked to help women and families.
Sometimes the lack of involvement has been discouraging yet I have seen so many miracles especially babies being saved women and men being healed through acknowledging this great sin and repentance with God. God has restored many.
But I believe we must ask ourselves an important question:
“If we believe every life is precious in God’s eyes, what are we personally willing to do about it? Did God put us here to pray and sit on our hands, or did he give us hands, feet and a mouth to use to be a witness? I think we all know the answer to that question.”
Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
We are called to the Great Commission!
Our churches have an extraordinary opportunity to minister to mothers, fathers, children, and families in crisis. We need to support pro-life and pro-family organizations that provide meaningful help. We need to encourage peaceful advocates, volunteers, counselors, and ministries that serve those who are struggling.
We also need Christians of integrity and conviction who feel called to public service to consider serving on school boards, town councils, and in state and federal government.
Not everyone is called to run for office. But everyone has gifts that can be used to serve others.
We cannot expect someone else to do all the work while we remain on the sidelines.
Faith must be more than something we profess on Sunday. It must be reflected in how we live, how we love, how we serve, and how we respond when others need us.
America Needs Revival, Not Just Political Change
The recent elections remind us how divided our nation has become.
In Nevada and Virginia, voters approved constitutional protections for abortion rights. In Missouri, voters rejected an effort to reverse existing abortion protections. Idaho voters rejected a proposal to expand abortion rights. These results weigh heavily on my heart. But elections are not where our hope begins or ends.
We cannot legislate a change of heart. Only God can change a heart.
I believe America desperately needs repentance, forgiveness, healing, and revival.
We need to pray for the unborn children who have no voice. We need to pray for mothers who are afraid, fathers who need courage, families who are struggling, and people whose hearts and beliefs differ from ours.
We need to remember that Jesus came to save sinners, and that includes every one of us.
Our mission is not simply to win an argument. It is to reach hearts, help families, protect life, and share the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
The Election Is Over. Our Calling Is Not.
I may be leaving the school board, but I am not leaving the calling God has placed on my heart.
Perhaps this is the beginning of another chapter.
A chapter of greater involvement in pro-life ministry, speaking in churches, supporting pregnancy resource centers, helping mothers and families, and encouraging Christians to become more involved in their communities.
We cannot become so discouraged by political losses that we forget the opportunities God has placed before us. It’s always in the darkest places that God’s love is even greater, his mercy is greater because the hearts are broken.
There is still work to be done.
There are still mothers who need help.
There are still fathers who need help.
There are still children who need protection.
There are still families who need hope.
And there are still hearts that only God can change.
This is not a time to be silent. It is not a time to surrender to discouragement. It is a time to pray, serve, engage, and stand in the gap.
Our hope is not in politicians or political parties.
Our hope is in Jesus Christ.
Deuteronomy 30:19 reminds us:
“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”
GOD SAID, CHOOSE LIFE!
And Matthew 19:26 reminds us:
“With God all things are possible.”
I believe that with all my heart.
So I will continue to pray. I will continue to speak. I will continue to serve. And I will continue to stand for the sanctity of human life, the protection of our children, and the strengthening of our families.
The election may be over, but the mission continues.
REMEMBER, THE GREAT DIVIDE IN AMERICA IS NOT RED VS. BLUE, BUT GOOD VS. EVIL; PRAY FOR THOSE WHO STAND AGAINST WHAT WE BELIEVE, BECAUSE GOD CAN TRANSFORM ANY HEART, JUST AS HE TRANSFORMED SAUL INTO PAUL—SOMETIMES OUR GREATEST ENEMIES BECOME OUR GREATEST ALLIES WHEN GOD CHANGES THEIR HEARTS! PRAY FOR ALL SOULS TO BE SAVED AND BROUGHT TO CHRIST!
WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
“WE WILL PROTECT THE CHILDREN FROM THE WOMB TO THE CLASSROOM!”
Ethel Hermenau
Pro-Life Ministry | United for Life, New Jersey
