Rep. Severin invites church congregations to Springfield to pray for lawmakers

Feb. 18--State Rep. Dave Severin is encouraging Illinois church congregations to travel to Springfield and pray for Illinois from the House Gallery.

Severin, R-Benton, said that the invitation is open to any church, and to people of all political beliefs. "It's absolutely not partisan at all," Severin said. "Come and pray as you feel led."

That said, there was a defining moment in Springfield that Severin said called him to take action to fill the gallery as many days as possible with people in prayer. Severin said the idea came to him while he was driving back to Southern Illinois from the capital city last May, following a long and emotional debate on the House floor about abortion rights.

Though he was outnumbered on the House floor, Severin was among opponents of the Reproductive Health Act who argued that it represented an extreme expansion of abortion access in Illinois.

Signed into law on June 12 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the measure established that abortion is a "fundamental right" for a pregnant woman, and mandates that private insurance companies include coverage for abortion, the same as for other reproductive services such as birth control, infertility treatments and maternal care.

Proponents of the bill argued that it was an important step to strengthen reproductive rights for women given that there are several pending court cases that have the potential to overturn Roe v. Wade as they reach a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court.

In a show of support, numerous women dressed as handmaiden characters -- in bonnets and long red dresses -- from "The Handmaid's Tale" television series. The series is based on a dystopian novel by Margeret Atwood in which subjugated women are forced to bear children for wealthy couples in a United States under totalitarian rule and facing dangerously low reproduction rates.

Severin said the image was striking. And he bemoaned the fact that when he looked up to the gallery, there wasn't a large presence of people also sitting in prayer.

"They were in the gallery, and they were trying to put pressure on the Legislature," Severin said. "That's when I came up with the idea. I thought, 'You know, if they can be there' -- and they can, because anyone can be there -- I decided, 'I'm going to challenge the people of faith to come and pray for our state, not just about our abortion, but the general state of our state -- period.'"

With the help of Delbra Pratt, who is in charge of National Day of Prayer in Illinois, Severin created the Facebook Page "Pray for Springfield." It includes a publicly viewable calendar showing the days various churches have signed up to attend.

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The White Ash Freewill Baptist Church in rural Williamson County was the first to sign up.

Freewill Baptist congregation member Bob Owens said he learned about Severin's plan last year when the two were visiting on a topic of interest to Owens. "He said, 'I'd really like to see people come and pray,' and I said, 'Well, you're not the only one.'"

Owens said that in the weeks that followed, as word spread about the plan, a generous person donated a passenger tour bus to the church to support its activities across the region. On Jan. 28, the bus was loaded up for Springfield. A total of 41 people visited the state's capital, Owens said. He was among them. "You've got a bunch of people who are passing laws," he said, "and they're not friendly to families."

Staunchly pro-life, Owens said he is concerned about Illinois' abortion laws, and the number of people coming to the state to have an abortion because other neighboring states have more restrictive laws.

Members also routinely travel to a clinic in Granite City that offers abortion services. Owens said they do not publicly shame the women visiting the clinic. Rather, he said they congregate on the sidewalk and pray and display signs letting visitors of the clinic know that assistance is available for diapers, adoptive services and other needs.

Owens said he's also concerned about the Southern Illinois economy, and wants to see lawmakers make smart decisions that can help draw new industry. But Owens said that regardless of his or anyone else's political viewpoints, praying for leaders is what Christians are called to do.

"I think as a Christian, we have an obligation, if we believe the Bible, if we firmly believe what the Bible says and what God teaches on it, we have a definitive obligation to do exactly this," he said.

Pastor Andy Lee said that a lot of times, people feel hopeless about what they can do when politics are moving in a direction they feel is immoral. Personally, he's concerned about abortion, the legalization of marijuana, and the proliferation of gambling machines. Too often, Lee said, church members complain but largely sit on the sidelines, failing to offer a solution. "One of the solutions is to lift these men and women up in prayer that they may make good and wise decisions," he said.

Lee said the church has signed up to make two more trips to the gallery this spring legislative session. Other churches have also signed on, including the Murdale Baptist Church in Carbondale, the Mount Vernon Baptist Temple, Waltonville Community Church and the Rivers of Living Water Fellowship Church in De Soto.

The Rev. Susan Burnett, with Rivers of Living Water, said that she and three other members of her church are scheduled to make the trek to Springfield early Wednesday morning. "I feel that God is going to be the one to turn our state and our nation where we need to be," Burnett said of why she wants to go. She also sees the trip as educational for herself and other church members. A lot of people don't understand how Springfield works, she said, pointing to her personal shock of license plate fees increasing by $50 as part of a plan to fund transportation-related projects.

"I don't understand how they're sliding these things in, but I don't think it's right and I don't think it's fair."

"They talk about the separation of church and state," Burnett said. "I feel like this, even if you're in the church, you still pay taxes. You're still a taxpayer. And I feel like this. If one set of people have their political view, then I'm allowed to have mine."

molly.parker@thesouthern.com

618-351-5079

On Twitter: @MollyParkerSI

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