Greetings, FIC supporters, and family! My name is Christina Bennett and I’m the new Communications Director at the Family Institute of Connecticut. I’ve been at FIC since the beginning of the year so I thought I’d share more about myself in this blog post.
I grew up in Connecticut and have a great love for my home state. In 2004 I obtained my B.S. in Business Communications from Southern CT State University. During college, I got serious about my relationship with Jesus. I joined a ministry called Campus Crusade for Christ and became very involved leading Bible studies, holding prayer meetings and doing Christian outreach. I hoped that after college I’d have a career which allowed me to express my Christian values.
My life radically changed in college after discovering I was scheduled to be aborted at Mount Sinai Hospital in Hartford, CT. One day my mother confessed this secret she’d kept hidden all my life. She got pregnant with me in her twenties and was pressured to abort. Before her abortion appt. a janitor saw her crying in the hallway and asked if she wanted to keep her baby. My mom said yes and attempted to leave but the abortionist called her into his office. The doctor pressured her to stay but she walked out. After hearing her story I understood the destructive reality of abortion on a personal level. I decided I wanted to help others like the janitor helped my mother. After college, I joined a ministry called Bound4Life and the Justice House of Prayer D.C. The ministry focuses on praying for the ending of abortion and for pro-life Supreme Court judges. For three years I prayed in front of the Supreme Court wearing red ‘life tape’. I met pro-life political leaders and sought God’s heart on ending abortion. During this time I learned the dark history of Planned Parenthood. I learned that the organization was founded by Eugenicists bent on decreasing the population of minorities and those with disabilities whom they saw as ‘undesirables’. In 2008 I moved to Atlanta to join the staff at the International House of Prayer Atlanta and pray specifically for the Black community. During that season I connected with Black pro-life leaders and joined the National Black Pro-Life Coalition, an organization I’m still part of today.
In 2012 I came back to CT for a time of rest and in that season I met my husband. I started writing for pro-life websites such as Live Action News, Bound4Life’s Moral Outcry blog and I spoke on behalf of Students for Life of America and other pro-life organizations. In 2016 I was honored to receive a ‘Defender of Life’ award from Students for Life of America for my activism. Growing interest in my personal testimony caused two filmmakers to include me in their projects. ‘Hear from Heaven’ and ‘Pro-Life Feminist’ are documentaries that highlight my pro-life activism.
The last four years I worked as the Client Services Manager for a CT pro-life pregnancy center, ABC Women’s Center. At ABC I oversaw our educational programs and managed our volunteer team. I helped women chose adoption, helped moms who decided against abortion and ministered to post-abortive women and men suffering from abortion. In 2017 I noticed attacks were increasing against Pregnancy Resource Centers across the country. Our center which has existed peacefully for over 25 years was even protested by radical pro-abortion activists.
I wanted to do more to fight the increasing attacks from pro-abortion forces in CT. That desire and God’s leading caused me to leave my position at ABC Women’s Center and join the staff at the Family Institute. For years I’d respected FIC’s Executive Director Peter Wolfgang and admired the work he did fighting for pro-life values in CT. As plots against liberty religious, pro-life values and the family unit continue I’m glad to stand with FIC to fight back. Since January I’ve enjoyed praying for elected officials at a legislative prayer breakfast, helping to defeat H.B. 5417 the assisted suicide bill and speaking out against H.B. 5416 a bill designed to attack pregnancy centers. I look forward to all 2018 will hold and I’m happy to work for this courageous organization!