GREENSBORO, N.C. — After more than a decade under its current ownership — and years of prior operation under a different name — the only surgical abortion provider in Greensboro closed its doors on April 30, prompting responses from area pro-life ministries.
The Greensboro abortion clinic began operating under the name A Woman’s Choice in 2015, according to North Carolina incorporation records. Other published information suggest that abortions were provided at the site under a previous name and ownership dating back to the 1990s or early 2000s, although the dates of those earlier operations are not consistently documented in public findings.
A Woman’s Choice operates a regional network of abortion clinics in cities across the Southeast, primarily in North Carolina, Florida and Virginia. The closure of the Greensboro clinic marks a shift in local abortion access and drew responses from leaders from a pro-life ministry and a local pregnancy resource center.
Officials with Love Life, a Charlotte-based pro-life ministry that has been active in the Triad since 2018, described the closure as significant while emphasizing continued efforts in the region.
“We just rejoice that it is no longer (there),” said Dustin Wilson, Love Life’s city director for Greensboro and Winston-Salem. “We just pray that more of these will close.”
Love Life has organized weekly prayer gatherings near the clinic for several years, partnering with local churches. The group says those efforts have involved more than 100 congregations and drawn thousands of participants.
Representatives from A Woman’s Choice cited multiple factors behind the organization’s decision to close the Greensboro location. In late March, the facility announced that it would stop performing abortions on March 31 and would remain open for follow-up appointments until April 30.
In a public statement announcing the closure, the clinic cited declining demand in Greensboro and increased demand at clinics in other nearby cities. The clinic’s Vice President of Advocacy and Operations Amber Gavin also told a local media outlet that a “hostile political environment” and financial challenges contributed to the decision to close.
Despite the clinic’s closure, local ministries say abortion access in the region is shifting. Kacey Minor, communication director with The Pregnancy Network in the Triad, said more women are accessing abortion through medication.
“Largely, over the past year, despite the closing of the facility…, we are still seeing an increase in women accessing abortion through the abortion pill,” Minor said. “Many women find access to the pill online and are poorly educated about the associated health risks.”
For ministries like Love Life and The Pregnancy Network, the closure underscores what they describe as a continued need for long-term cultural and spiritual engagement. Both Wilson and Minor say the local church is key to those efforts by supporting women facing unexpected pregnancies through practical care and support.
“Our vision is to mobilize and unite the church … because ultimately it is the church that will shift us from a culture of death to a culture of life,” Wilson said. “You can close down all these clinics, but if the church isn’t equipped and the church isn’t ready, that is where we will fall short.
“The goal is to equip churches to help women with unplanned pregnancies. Getting churches to really stand in the right way … that’s what we want to see. When a mom is faced with an unplanned pregnancy, we don’t want the first thing she thinks is abortion. We want her to turn to a church … a house of refuge (she) can run to.”
Minor added: “Our goal is to connect local churches and give them opportunities to fulfill the Great Commission. We can’t do what we do without the local church.”
Love Life plans to host a prayer walk in Greensboro this Saturday, May 9, from 9-10:30 a.m., near the site of the former abortion clinic.
This article originally appeared in the Biblical Recorder.
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