WASHINGTON (BP) – The most recent episode of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) podcast featured two Southern Baptist Convention ministry leaders discussing the importance of pro-life advocacy and recapping their attendance at the 2026 National March for Life.
The episode, released Feb. 5, featured Dr. Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver, president of Union University, and Jason Marlin, lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Kirksville, Mo., an ERLC trustee.
Oliver and Marlin were among a group of Southern Baptists that ERLC staff gathered to attend this year’s National March for Life event in Washington, D.C., Jan. 23. The group included pastors, ministry leaders and college students.
Each guest was interviewed by ERLC Press Secretary Elizabeth Bristow about the recent trip and the importance of equipping the next generation to faithfully engage the culture on pro-life issues.
In his interview with Bristow, Oliver spoke about how encouraging it was to gather with thousands of other pro-life Americans at the March for Life.
“There are so many people who gather annually to focus on the issue of life and to talk about the culture of life,” Oliver said.
“For 50 years we were marching to get Roe v. Wade overturned. Fortunately, that very bad decision has been overturned, but we knew all along that a culture of life isn’t dependent upon the Supreme Court or any legislation. It really is about changing people’s hearts.
“So, one of the things that always encourages me is just to go back and be with people who are working on these issues, seeing so many young people who are committed to these issues, seeing so many people who are my age that are committed to these issues, and to know that it’s true that we don’t just want to make abortion illegal, but we want to make it unthinkable.”
This year’s National March for Life, which is understood to be the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration, marked the event’s 53rd year and was the fourth time it has taken place since the historic overturning of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which returned the regulation of abortion primarily back to the states.
It was the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe decision, handed down in January 1973, that inspired the first March for Life in 1974.
For years, Southern Baptists have participated with thousands of pro-life advocates at both the National March for Life and many state March for Life events.
Oliver said valuing the sanctity of all life is part of who Southern Baptists are.
“As Baptists, we believe in life and see the dignity and worth of each individual bearing the image and likeness of God,” he said.
“We need to express that in all the ways that we can. The March for Life is a very specific and focused event around the issue of abortion, but the sanctity of life is so important in Southern Baptist life and that doesn’t only include these children in the womb that can’t speak for themselves. For Southern Baptists, it really is about a culture of all life and really holding that as valuable.”
In his role as a university president, Oliver spoke about the importance of raising up the next generation to fight for Southern Baptist values.
“We had 20 students from Union at the March, and there were tens of thousands of college students at the event,” Oliver said. “It’s really encouraging to see them take this issue up and engage it in this way.
“What we want to do is we want to equip them, empower them, encourage them, cheer them on and do anything we can to help them, because as people who are my age move off the stage and don’t have influence, we want to make sure there is generation after generation picking up this issue in Southern Baptist life.”
Marlin told Bristow a group of college students at his church jumped on the idea of attending the March for Life immediately.
“I think there’s more involvement today than even when I was probably that age,” Marlin said.
“I don’t think I was as knowledgeable when I was in college of the resources or of the things that are available out there. I think our church has done a decent job of being able to educate teenagers and college students of what a pro-life view is, and I see our college students being involved in our local pregnancy center. That’s an encouraging thing as a pastor to see they are actually involved in this area.”
Both Marlin and Oliver recommended listeners to take advantage of the ministry and resources the ERLC provides, such as the Psalm 139 Project, which places ultrasound machines in pregnancy resource centers, and to get involved with their local pregnancy center.
“I think we (ERLC) try to resource the Church pretty well,” Marlin said. “I love our Psalm 139 Project, and I think that’s one of the strengths of the ERLC. We’ve mentioned local pregnancy centers, and I would contact them to get involved.
“The best thing I could tell people is just try to be educated and to figure out what’s around you. You don’t have to travel out of state. You don’t have to go to Washington, D.C., to make an impact. I think probably the biggest impact is probably right where you are. That’s probably the best thing you can do.”
The full podcast can be found here.
Related posts:
ANALYSIS: Does Scripture address abortion? Abortion advocates stymie anti-trafficking proposal 
FIRST-PERSON: An HHS ‘accommodation’ for the naive 4 entity heads address messenger questions 
New Beginnings Pregnancy Center Offers Help and Hope for Mothers and Babies 
FIRST-PERSON: Reclaiming America’s leadership in global child welfare 
ERLC’s Andrew Walker to join Southern’s faculty 
EXPLAINER: What is the Mississippi abortion case about?
