In an interview with ESPN last September, Michigan Wolverines Coach Jim Harbaugh (and former Chicago Bear quarterback) openly shared that he tells his family, team, and staff that if any of them is faced with a crisis pregnancy, he and his wife Sarah will adopt that child.

I’ve told [them] the same thing I tell my kids, boys, the girls, same thing I tell our players, our staff members, I encourage them if they have a pregnancy that wasn’t planned, to go through with it, go through with it. Let that unborn child be born, and if at that time, you don’t feel like you can care for it, you don’t have the means or the wherewithal, then Sarah and I will take that baby.

Any player on our team, any female staff member or any staff member or anybody in our family or our extended family … that doesn’t feel like after they have a baby they can take care of it, we got a big house. We’ll raise that baby.

As a public figure and a natural born leader, Harbaugh is not merely a tremendous witness for his faith and the sanctity of life, but he is showing us how it’s done; how to walk-in-faith, winsomely bold and with integrity.

Pastors and church leaders should take note of Coach Harbaugh’s witness. His genuine loving, proactive offer to help his players and/or staff should they face an unexpected pregnancy and willingness to adopt the baby is an example that should be replicated in churches nationwide.

Pro-life Church leaders should have a conversation with their church family and prepare a list of volunteer families who would be willing to step up to be that adoptive family for women facing an unplanned pregnancy. Once this is done in advance it could be announced to the church family:

“We love you and your unborn baby. We want to minster to you during this critical time of your life. A family here at our church is willing to adopt and raise this precious child in the faith so that he/she has a chance to live and serve Almighty God.” 

This need not conflict with the message of abstinence and marriage as God’s standard for Christian life. In fact, this cornerstone of biblical marriage and family should be a frequent matter of discussion in our homes and in our churches. Far too many victims of abortion and perverse sexual ideologies have to deal with the consequences of their actions precisely because these things haven’t been discussed in their homes or by their church leaders. “I didn’t know” is a heart-breaking chorus and excuse.

Yet young women or couples who fall short of abstinence and find themselves with an unplanned pregnancy should know that fellow believers want to extend mercy and forgiveness to them.

Moreover, they should know that the church family is willing to rally around both mom and her pre-born baby. This offer of loving help should also be extended to birth moms who plan to raise their baby themselves.

Make Sure They Know

Imagine if churches across the nation made a Harbaugh type offer to families in their congregations and/or even to families in their immediate communities? The option of “terminating” a crisis pregnancy could be virtually eliminated. The mother and her family would understand that they have a real, life-giving choice to give that child a future.

Imagine the lives that would be saved both physically and spiritually!

Imagine what a powerful witness this would be to our abortion-centered culture as Christians “walk the walk” to lift up Jesus, shining Jesus’ light in our dark culture. The selfless offer to love our neighbors would likely shock many in the culture.

Imagine if “The Harbaugh Pledge” was taken up by churches coast-to-coast. Imagine the how it would become a beacon of Christ to our culture by offering to love them both by facilitating private adoptions, which are much less expensive than going through an agency.

The fact that there is an IRS adoption tax credit of $14k should more than cover any expense incurred. On top of that, Illinois offers tax “refunds of up to $5,000 for a child adopted in Illinois, and up to $2,000 for a child adopted outside the state,” according to a Chicago Tribune article. I assume states across the nation offer similar tax incentives.

For those who may not want an adoptive family from the local church, churches could network within their own denomination or with like-minded independent churches outside of the state.
My prayer is that thousands of churches across the nation take this pledge publicly before their congregations. They could even extend the offer of adoption and discipleship to an area in their community that routinely struggles with out-of-wedlock pregnancies.

Jesus promised that if He be lifted-up, all men would be drawn to Him. “The Harbaugh Pledge” could become a powerful way to lift-up Christ in our culture and may even lead to our long-awaited spiritual revival as we repent from our sins of apathy and abortion.