ST. JOSEPH – Libby Owens, member of Cornerstone Baptist Church in St. Joseph and Executive Director of the St. Joseph Pregnancy Resource Clinic (St. Joseph PRC), is passionate about life.
“I believe in the value of life outlined in Scripture,” Owens said. “I have a strong compassion for others and God has given me the opportunities to support life.”
Her opportunities began when she moved to St. Joseph. “I was working at a part-time job, and I took a tour of the clinic,” she said, “I saw what they were doing, and I wanted to volunteer.”
Owens saw the mission of the St. Joseph PRC being carried out. They provide Christ-like service to pregnant, at-risk, and post-abortive women; addressing their spiritual, physical and emotional needs; equipping them to make healthy, life-affirming decisions.
Libby Owens
After Owens began to volunteer, it wasn’t long until the ministry recognized her talents and invited her to join the staff. She became the Executive Director in August of 2016. Owens is a 1991 graduate of Southwest Baptist University with a BA in Communications.
Owens is also serving her second year on the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Christian Life Commission. “All I am doing, and we are doing, is speaking up for the unborn,” she said. “It used to be something not talked about, but now churches are resilient in prayer, and I see what God is doing and I know He wants us to continue.”
Owens described her work on the Christian Life Commission as encourager. “I can bring my perspective in sharing the importance of this ethical issue in facing culture wars and bringing God’s truth to what is happening.”
The St. Joseph PRC is on the forefront of what is happening. Owens shares with women making pregnancy decisions daily. The number of women served with resources in 2023 was 508, which is up significantly from the 374 women served in 2019. The clinic expanded its service in 2019 with a satellite location in Cameron, Mo. The St. Joseph Resource Clinic also saw 149 babies born in 2023 from the services. The Cameron location is helpful in serving the rural community around St. Joseph.
“We are planting seeds of faith,” Owens explained, “the women are in class to study the curriculum about what to expect in their pregnancy and what to do with the baby, but we also offer a devotion in each class. We emphasize their identity in Christ and that He will give them all that they need to be the mother He wants them to be.”
Owens continued with a story about a young mom who contacted her on Facebook. “She wanted to volunteer,” she said. “Then, I found out that she had attended our classes and one of our staff said that she had just been baptized that weekend. Now, she was reaching out to volunteer.
“Each woman who comes in for information leaves with diapers and wipes,” Owens continued, “and if they attend class, they earn points that they can use to shop in our baby boutique which has all of the donated items that a new mom would need.”
“We also have become the hub for maternity clothes,” she said. “Any woman in the community can come in for this. It is a great outreach for us. It is a positive blessing for the women because society tells them that motherhood is overwhelming. When we meet the physical needs of these women, they know we care.”
“I want to encourage churches and especially pastors to share the truth from the pulpit of what Scripture says about the sanctity of life and the purpose that God has for each child,” Owens said. “Let’s not be intimidated by the cultural challenges, let’s link arms and face them together. Congregations want to listen to what God is wanting us to do.”
Libby and her husband, Terry, have a 16 year-old son.