Megachurch Pastor Steve Riggle Urges Pro-Life Texans to Flood Capitol Before Senate Vote

I have just been told the Senate vote on the bill restricting abortion will be this Friday in Austin. The national media will be telling the nation and the world a story about Texas. We need to flood the Capitol showing massive support for this bill.

We really need pastors to rally their churches to show up for this. We won’t have another chance to show our support. We may regret it if we don’t. Our legislators have really stepped up on this. Now we need to stand behind them.

Gov. Rick Perry said a few years ago that he and the other leaders in Austin were doing everything they could to push pro-family, pro-marriage, pro-life legislation. He said, “We need the pastors to do the same and speak up and stand up.”

Showing up Friday would be huge! I’m going, and I’m asking everyone at my church, Grace Community Church in Houston, to go if they possibly can. I’m also asking every pastor I know to do what I am doing. 

My wife, Becky, and I have been on a driving trip the past three weeks celebrating our 44th anniversary. When I received news that the House was going to debate and vote on the bill, we both felt I should fly home early and be in Austin for the vote. She is still on the road driving our car home. I spent all day Tuesday sitting in the gallery supporting the House members as they passed this bill. For me, this is what leadership is all about.

I realize this is last minute—but sometimes the most important showing-up times in life don’t give us advance warning; they just happen. We don’t get to pick the timing of this. The only choice we have is if we will do whatever it takes to lead the way and show up and bring as many as possible with us. Please join me!

Would you join me and email, Facebook or whatever it takes to get your congregation to fill the Capitol at noon and to get as many as possible to stand in the gallery line at 9 a.m.? Would you, as a pastor, meet me there at 9 a.m.?

Steve Riggle is the founding pastor and current senior pastor of Grace Community Church in Houston. He is also the president of Grace International, formerly Christian Evangelistic Assemblies.