Many directors of crisis pregnancy centres across Canada have wanted an all Canadian organization to support their efforts. Now they have one.

On September 24 The Christian Association of Pregnancy Support Services (CAPSS) was launched.

A group of 12 leaders met over two days to design the new organization. They created a council composed of representatives from British Columbia to New Brunswick.

Loraine Currie, founding director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Crisis Pregnancy Centre, is excited about the grassroots nature if the new network. In the past Canadian directors could meet regionally or attend American conferences as a Canadian enclave.

“The American conferences were exciting,” admitted Lorraine, “but when we came home and looked at our notes too much had been translated for the Canadian scene. Our laws on abortion and adoption are different. Our approach to fund-raising and even counseling differs. We have a distinct Canadian psyche and the training materials we use need to reflect that.”

CAPSS will provide a newsletter, directory and code of ethics, as well as guidelines and standards for fund-raising and affiliation.

Wendy Lowe of the Calgary Crisis Pregnancy Centre and Lola French of the Central Alberta Pregnancy Centre are rewriting a training manual for directors, volunteers and board members that will be truly Canadian. Each province will have an insert so it is provincially relevant.

More than 50 crisis pregnancy centres (CPC’s) have been invited to join CAPSS. CAPSS has adopted the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s statement of faith and each CPC that joins CAPSS would also subscribe to that statement.

CAPSS will provide more cohesion for Canadian directors. Joan Kosmachuk, Director of Jewels for Jesus Mississauga is delighted. “Finally Canadian crisis pregnancy centres are going to have their own governing body.”

The council appointed members to its Board of Directors. Bern Currie, the Chair, was for six years the president of Kitchener-Waterloo Right to Life.

Bev Farrow, former director of Life Centre, Mississauga is Vice Chair and Alec Parachin of Unionville is treasurer.

Secretary Hudson Hilsden of Scarborough sees CAPSS as a “covering for legal or fund-raising advice.” As Canadians we have a distinctly different way of doing things.

“We want to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to hurting people. The love of Christ ministered through the entire process. Our constituency would be non-partisan but pro-active and networking with all pro-life and pro-family groups in Canada.”

Chair Currie sees the new organization as not only strengthening the network of established pregnancy services but also helping new pregnancy centres start up.

Interested parties should contact CAPSS by telephoning (519) 893-1542