About one year ago, in response to an indicated need, a group of citizens from area churches began meeting and started the process toward establishing a pregnancy resource center for Centerville and the surrounding area. The steering committee nominated and later elected a board of directors Feb. 26, that will assist in getting the ministry off the ground to open its doors by the fall of 2008.

The board members are as follows:

Alice Beeson – Alice is a pastor’s wife (her husband, Dennis is the pastor of Lighthouse Open Bible Church) and serves as the Parent As Teachers Educator for Appanoose County

Connie Drake – Connie is a business woman, a member of Faith United Methodist Church, and is an active participant in various prayer ministries in Centerville and around the state.

Brian Hargrave – Brian is the senior pastor at Grace Tabernacle Baptist Church and is a native to southern Iowa. He is serving as the chairman of the board for Hope Pregnancy Center.

Carl Heien – Carl serves as the senior pastor of Fairview Church of the Brethren, and has served in various roles and capacities in Appanoose County Ministerial Association and Centerville area. He is also the acting treasurer of the Board of Directors at Hope Pregnancy Center.

Sharon Heien – Sharon is a pastor’s wife (her husband, Carl, is the pastor at Fairview Church of the Brethren) and has served the Centerville community as a music director if a number of fine arts presentations.

Spencer Keroff – Spencer serves as the senior pastor of Centerville Assembly of God. He has also served as president, vice-president, and secretary of the Appanoose Ministerial Association.

David Powell – David is a member of Grace Tabernacle Baptist Church and is a farmer in the Moulton area.

Stephanie Thompson – Stephanie is a pastor’s wife (her husband, Conrad, serves as the Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church in Centerville). She works with the youth and children in ministries of their church.

Hope Pregnancy Center will be a nonprofit organization operating under the auspices of CareNet, a network of pregnancy resource centers whose mission is to assist and promote the evangelistic, pro-life work of crisis pregnancy centers. The pregnancy resource center will be the only ministry of its kind in a 40-60 mile radius and will likely draw from other communities in addition to serving Centerville. The center’s mission will be to provide free services for women, such as pregnancy tests, sonograms, community support referrals (medical, social, adoptive, and spiritual), necessary baby items, and peer counseling.

Major milestones have been completed, leading to the projected fall 2008 opening. A building has been donated for the purpose of housing the center. Hope Pregnancy Center needs one third of its budget in pledges and is 30 percent funded for that goal. A Community Resource and Needs Assessment Survey was completed, identifying resources already in Centerville and services that Hope Pregnancy Center can provide in the future. The goal will be to assemble viable resources from our community that are specific to the needs of crisis pregnancies and providing the remainder of the client’s needs in a compassionate, Christian environment.

If you would like more information, or to make a financial contribution or pledge, please call Carl Heien 856-4030.