Mission and History
Mission and Vision
Our Mission is to be the first choice for anyone facing an unplanned pregnancy.
Our Vision is to make abortion unthinkable for all who come to us.
Our approach to accomplish this life-affirming mission and vision:
- Accept all who come to us in Christ’s love, compassion and without judgement.
- Offer medical services including: pregnancy testing, ultrasound, and STI screening and treatment.
- Provide compassionate care and evidence-based information to women and men facing unplanned pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections.
- Offer material assistance programs for under-resourced families.
- Provide education, coaching and mentoring on pregnancy, parenting, relationships, sexual health, and addictive behaviors.
- Offer support and healing to those struggling with past abortions.
- Prevent crisis pregnancies and the spread of STIs through sexual risk avoidance education.
- Share the gospel of Jesus Christ, offer spiritual guidance, and connect people into local churches.
Our History
The Hope Center opened in donated space in a doctor’s office in Berne on January 17, 1992. During our first year, we served 40 women. Ten years later we needed more space. Community members rallied together to raise additional funds which helped us purchase and renovate the current Berne office. This is also when our first ultrasound machine was donated.
In 2005, volunteers gave over 700 hours to renovate the Berne office. Furniture and interior décor were donated, and a Nurse Manager was hired. Additional fundraising events and a grant helped fund our medical conversion, and The Hope Center converted to the Hope Clinic, offering on-site ultrasound verification of pregnancy.
Three years later, in 2009, the Hope Clinic joyfully merged with Decatur Life Choice Pregnancy Center. We opened a second location in Decatur, and began renting office space. An ultrasound machine was purchased for the Decatur office later that same year.
As we became more established in the Decatur community, we saw a growing need to expand our vision and our services to meet the increasing needs of our clients. Our next step was moving to a larger space. We were blessed in August of 2012 to be able to purchase the entire building where we were already established! In January of 2014 we dedicated the completed renovation of the Decatur Clinic.
In late 2015 we added evening hours for the first time, and in early 2016 we began offering STI/STD testing and treatment. Later that same year we launched a Family Mentoring Ministry to help clients redirect their lives and end generational cycles of family dysfunction. In 2019 we were blessed to join the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, offering a protocol that has proven successful in reversing chemical abortions if administered in the first few days after the first abortion pill is taken.
Through it all, we have faithfully followed God’s lead in offering new services to further our mission, and He has blessed this ministry richly! We are privileged to serve Him by showing love and offering hope to an average of around 500 clients each year.