Father’s Day is an occasion for men to remember that someone may be missing from the celebration.
Just as women find a need for healing and a safe place to process the guilt and grief which follow after abortion, men need spiritual help as well.
Kevin Burke joined us this week to outline a new initiative to help these men.
Turning the Hearts of Fathers is based on the Scripture prophecy in Malachi, which finds its fulfillment in the Gospel of Luke, “He will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward their children and prepare a people fit for the Lord.” (Luke 1, 10-17). This grassroots-outreach is an extension of the Silent No More Awareness campaign, which gives women and men a chance to break the silence surrounding abortion and find the healing and community support each one needs.
It’s my belief that men need help with three essential emotional and spiritual tasks after abortion:
- Repenting to repair shame and guilt
- Resolving grief and loss
- Restoring lost manhood and fatherhood issues
Kevin Burke has helped men address these issues in ministry through retreats in various international settings, including an outreach to men in prison who have an abortion in their past. Burke is a licensed social worker, Co-Founder of Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries and a Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life. He is a graduate of The Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work. Kevin’s presentations address the effects of abortion on men, couples, and families, and also provide an effective post-abortion ministry for Clergy and Counselors. Burke is also the co-author of Redeeming a Father’s Heart, a post-abortion Bible study for men.
