The NGO in Spain was founded with a vocation to serve both evangelical churches and society in general, and does not exclude anyone on religious, ethnic, political or economic grounds.
(Evangelical Focus) On 25 April, the pro-life NGO SIFRA celebrated its tenth anniversary as a legal entity in Madrid (Spain), at the evangelical church on Trafalgar Street.
Its name is inspired by one of the first midwives mentioned in history, Sifra, who appears in the Book of Exodus (chapter 1, verses 15 to 17). The name of the group therefore refers to the ancestral concern for protecting pregnancy and childbirth.
SIFRA was founded with a vocation to serve both evangelical churches and society in general, and does not exclude anyone on religious, ethnic, political or economic grounds, being open to anyone who needs help in this area.
Its name also corresponds to the acrostic of its areas of activity: Service (to women in crisis pregnancy); Information (on the web and other media about all the options and possible consequences of each decision); Formation (for members of the association so that they can offer the support requested by users in their time of need); Restoration (counselling for women with post-abortion syndrome); Advice (for women in crisis due to an unexpected pregnancy and with doubts about how to move forward, offering support, advice, resources and accompaniment beyond the birth).
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Looking back on this decade of service, Mercedes Gasanz (who was president of the organisation) says that “the important thing is for society to consider that there are alternatives to abortion, because often the alternatives are not even considered”.
In the work they have done, she explains, “many women, after the initial moments of great anxiety, have decided to face the pregnancy and carry it to term”.
“Curiously, if we ask these women after some time has passed, they all agree on the great love they have for their child and how important they are to them”.
She adds, “other women, faced with the impossibility of raising a child, have chosen to give their child up for adoption, and they have the comfort of knowing that their child is alive and with a family that loves them”.
A celebration
In addition to testimonies from women who have benefited from the NGO, several members of its board spoke, which is currently made up of Hilde Mathieson as president; Alison Barrett as vice-president and treasurer; Christopher Mathieson as secretary; and Rosa López Posteguillo, Natasa Timbota and Natalia Taboada as members.
They explained the reasons, objectives and achievements of the organisation in a country where 103,000 abortions were performed in 2024.
There was a final reflection by Pedro Tarquis (a medical doctor by profession and director of Areópago Protestante) who explored the relationship between ‘Life and Freedom’, emphasising that life is a gift from God and is inextricably linked to freedom, in God’s creation and design according to Genesis 1:1.
But true freedom, he said, implies the ability to choose and accept the consequences of those decisions, whether positive or negative. Therefore, “freedom is not unlimited and requires rules and limits to guide decisions, with God offering an eternal and unchanging reference point for making the right choice of freedom and its benefits”.
All these aspects, Tarquis concluded, come together in the human embryo, with its intrinsic life and freedom. “That is why abortion is a total break with the principles of life and freedom, affecting both the unborn and the parents themselves: themselves before God and, of course, the human life that is destroyed”.
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More about SIFRA
The NGO SIFRA is made up of evangelical Christians who are convinced that the Bible urges us to defend life, but also that each person is free to choose their own path.
Therefore, their strongest conviction is that every woman facing a crisis pregnancy needs space and information to make her own decision, which will allow her to live with a clear conscience based on her own fundamental values.
In the event of problematic pregnancies, SIFRA offers help, from listening to providing information on all possible options for finding solutions and making the right decision.
They also provide a space for those who have suffered an abortion to share their experiences and feelings, helping them to process it.
Another aspect of their work is providing guidance on assisted reproduction techniques, offering a space for conversation to provide solutions to ethical and personal dilemmas.
They have counsellors in English and German, as well as Spanish. Extensive information is available on their website.
Editor's note: This article was published by Evangelical Focus and is reprinted with permission.
