When John Lewis, founder of the pro-life organization Beyond the Pews for Life, received an email from a woman named Tiara in 2023, he couldn’t have realized what was in store. Tiara was four or five months pregnant and considering abortion, citing common reasons, like feeling alone and lacking support.
But Lewis, as always, had answers in his back pocket for all of those.
Beyond the Pews for Life is a pro-life outreach that ministers to women outside abortion facilities in Memphis, the Mid-South, and beyond, and follows up with financial, emotional, and spiritual support for women.
He and his team were able to offer resources and prayers for Tiara while maintaining constant connection.
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At first, things seemed to be going well. But after about a month, Tiara disappeared, leading Lewis to assume the worst. Tragically, abortions often move forward when contact with a vulnerable mom is lost.
Lewis, however, continued his practice of occasionally messaging past contacts.
Months later, while clearing out his phone, he stumbled upon a number he didn't recognize with the name "Shay Bryant." He discovered it was Tiara's sister. He sent a text, and a day later, Shay responded with news that stunned him: "She had the baby."
That baby, named Mira, was alive and well, though Tiara was now in Mississippi battling drug addiction. Tiara's mother, Tanya, had custody of Mira and Tiara's other child.
Shay immediately told Lewis that Tanya desperately needed help. Moments later, Tanya called Lewis as a baby wailed in the background. Tanya confirmed her urgent need for groceries and supplies to care for her two grandchildren.
Lewis wasted no time. He met Mira, a sweet one-plus-year-old, a few days later, while providing much-needed groceries for the family.
"Had we not followed up, then we would have never known this little girl even existed, would have never gotten to meet her, and provided the food that we did,” Lewis said.
Beyond the Pews for Life is dedicated to fostering ongoing relationships with mothers, supporting them well beyond the birth of their babies. This dispels the myth from the pro-abortion camp that pro-life advocates only care about babies until they’re born, then just move on.
Lewis made one thing clear: Ultimately, it is God who changes hearts and thereby rescues these precious lives.
Tiara’s story has another twist.
Through a slip from Tiara's older child, Lewis and Tanya learned that Tiara was pregnant again and, once more, considering abortion.
"Now that's the battle ahead of us," Lewis said.
But if he could help save Mira, he feels optimistic that he can save her next child.
Lewis estimates that Beyond the Pews for Life has been instrumental in saving between 125 and 150 babies from abortion. He attributes much of this success to persistent follow-up and the deep relationships his team builds with mothers.
"It was our conversations that put that in her head that this baby is made in the image of God and it has a purpose," he said. "And so, she just couldn't go through with the abortion."
Lewis understands the challenges of maintaining contact, especially with mothers struggling with drug addiction, who often go through many different phone numbers.
"I had one mother who's had like 24, 25 different numbers since we've known her," he said.
That's why he makes an effort to gather contact information for family members (mothers, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, etc.) to ensure a reliable lifeline of communication. And this strategy proved invaluable in reconnecting with Tiara's family.
Beyond the Pews for Life operates entirely on donations. The funds are used not only for groceries and baby supplies but also to help mothers with other essential needs, like utility bills and rent.
Lewis recounted helping two mothers with rent and one with a utility bill in just the past week. He shared another recent success story of a mother in Maryland who canceled her scheduled abortion after receiving support and compassion from the organization.
"I'm just letting you know that I had an abortion scheduled for tomorrow, but I've canceled it," the mother messaged Lewis. "It's because of your love and compassion that I did that."
He believes in approaching these conversations with "truth, love, and humility," never compromising the truth that abortion takes a life, but always communicating with the love of Christ.
"My message is to always have the love of Christ,” Lewis said.
“I don't hide the truth that they're killing their children, I'm very frank with that,” he said. “But at the same time, I say, ‘God has a purpose for this baby, has a purpose for you. He's calling you to be a mother. It's truth, love, and humility, and you don't compromise any of them."
Lewis, whose work is his full-time job, travels extensively to support groups and individuals in need, going "wherever I'm needed."
For others looking to take up the work of convincing vulnerable mothers to choose life, Lewis's core message is to "develop a relationship with these moms" and "stay in contact with them in the long run."
"You never know what God is going to use to change this mother's heart and their mind," he said.
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