Contact: Robert E. Coleman, Jr., Public Relations Director, Church Of God In Christ, Inc., 901-235-2160; Meg McCrory, Senior Director of Marketing Communications, Human Coalition, 214-295-7301

PLANO, Texas, July 29, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Human Coalition is honored to announce the inauguration of a three-year initiative with the Church Of God In Christ to advance their common mission of making abortion unthinkable and unavailable in America. Together, Human Coalition and the Church Of God In Christ (COGIC), which is the oldest Pentecostal denomination in the country, will work to promote the culture of life in African-American communities.

Bishop Charles Blake, Presiding Bishop of the Church Of God In Christ, praised the initiative as a much-needed response to tragedy in the modern world. "We see an escalation in violence around the world that is troubling," Bishop Blake said. "Terrorism, racial tension in America, and escalating crime. Indeed, this violence worsens daily as hundreds of thousands of children are snatched from their mothers' wombs prematurely and killed through abortion." Bishop Blake drew a poignant parallel between the life-saving ministry of pro-life Christians and Jesus' command to let the little children to come unto me. "What we do for the preborn and the born children in our society is our way of showing the Love and Compassion of Jesus Christ."

Reverend Dean Nelson, Human Coalition's National Director of Church Outreach, called the initiative an answer to prayer. "COGIC has churches in every major city in America," said Rev. Nelson. "Over the next three years, we will work together to educate and activate the church as we move towards our goal of making abortion unthinkable in urban America."

The joint initiative encompasses several objectives including:

1. Both organizations will cooperatively work on abortion-ending strategic plans, city-by- city
    
2. Human Coalition will provide training, resources, and education to enhance COGIC pro-life work
    
3. COGIC members will utilize Human Coalition’s prayer app to intercede for hurting women in cities across America

Since November 2015, COGIC has engaged in a "Family Life Campaign" challenging church members to take personal action in the fight for life. Bishop Vincent Mathews, Jr., President of the International Missions Department, encouraged members to adopt children from the foster care system and babies in danger of being aborted. "It's about going home, rolling up your sleeves, and taking care of a child..." he told members.

Bishop Mathews puts the harm done by abortion in perspective by comparing it to the Civil Rights violations of the last century. "Some 3,446 African-Americans were lynched in the U.S. between 1882 and 1986," he said. "We lose more African-Americans to abortion in this country every three days. Our church does not believe in abortion - we have to do something about it."

"Launching a joint initiative with the Church Of God In Christ shows the power of collaboration and coalition as we rescue children and serve families across America," said Human Coalition President and Co-Founder, Brian Fisher. "African-Americans are disproportionally impacted by abortion, and I deeply appreciate the Church Of God In Christ's leadership in stopping this injustice. I hope other major denominations will join us as we work together to make abortion unthinkable and unavailable. Christians can and should end the abortion holocaust in our country."

For any questions, please contact Robert E. Coleman, Jr., Public Relations Director at Church Of God In Christ, Inc. at 901-235-2160 or Meg McCrory, Senior Director of Marketing Communications, Human Coalition at 214-295-7301.

The Church Of God In Christ is the oldest Pentecostal denominations in the World and the 4th largest Protestant group in the United States with churches in over 82 countries worldwide and a membership of nearly 6.5 million adherents.

Human Coalition is one of the largest pro-life organizations in the country, committed to ending abortion in America by rescuing children and serving families in key, abortion-riddled communities nationwide.