GOALS: BCRL has three goals:

• Defense of all life: BCRL members believe that all life– including life of unborn babies– is God-given, precious, and worthy of protection. We try to assist in the fight to protect life through public education.
• Restoration of women after abortion: BCRL members recognize that there are two victims of an abortion– the unborn baby and his or her mother. Many (most?) women are emotionally and spiritually scarred for years after an abortion, and some are even physically scarred. We believe that a woman who feels guilty about an abortion should seek and accept God’s grace and forgiveness, and counseling, as necessary. We try to assist in the restoration of hurting women through public education.
• Change of the legal climate of abortion: BCRL members support Tennessee Right to Life’s efforts to influence the legislative process to support and protect life.

OFFICERS:
President: Raymond Finney, M.D.
Vice president: Amanda Leopper
Secretary: Linda Finney
Treasurer: Andy Chambers

MEETINGS: BCRL meets on the third Tuesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. in Room 433 of the Blount County Courthouse.*
(*This is the "old" courthouse, at the intersection of Court Street and West Lamar Alexander Parkway, across the parkway from First Baptist Church of Maryville.)

DUES: Annual dues are $25.00 per family (one person or two persons). Download a form to join BCRL. (The form is in PDF format. To open, you will need Acrobat Reader. Instructions for downloading Acrobat Reader software are available here.

DONATIONS: Donations are gratefully accepted. Download a form to donate BCRL. (The form is in PDF format. To open, you will need Acrobat Reader. Instructions for downloading Acrobat Reader software are available here. Or, send your check, name, and complete address to: Blount County Right to Life | Post Office Box 6906 | Maryville, Tennessee 37802-6906.

PROJECTS: Projects BCRL plans to sponsor during the year of July 2003 through June 2004 include the following (partial list):

• Establish Blount Coalition for Life, a coalition of pro-life organizations in Blount County
  (STATUS: completed- August 2003)
• Establish a BCRL Speakers Bureau, to supply a speaker for any church, civic, or community club
  (STATUS: completed- August 2003)
• Sponsor Life Chain 2003, a public vigil of pro-life Blount County residents standing in prayer for abortions being performed on women in our county and throughout the nation
  (STATUS: completed with more than 800 demonstrators- September 25, 2003)
• Create a BCRL Web site
  (STATUS: A Voice for the Unborn completed- mid-December 2003)
• Initiate much-needed fund-raising
  (STATUS: ongoing)
• Sponsor Sanctity of Life Sunday in Blount County churches
  (STATUS: completed, with multiple Blount County churches participating- January 18, 2004)
• Sponsor Sanctity of Life Prayer and Remembrance Service
  (STATUS: completed, with multiple pro-life organizations participating- at service held at First Baptist Church of Maryville, January 22, 2004)
• Sponsor high school pro-life and family life art contest

(STATUS:Oratory contest offered at Calvary Baptist Church of Alcoa, March 25, 2004)
• Sponsor an exhibit-- Abortion: a Man's Issue-- at the "It's Time to Take a Stand" Men's Conference, Restoration International Outreach (RIO), Maryville, Tennessee
  (STATUS:Pamphlet, Abortion: A Man's Issue, written and printed and an exhibit manned at the two-day conference, April 30-May 1, 2004
• Sponsor a Mothers’ Day “Thank You for Life” advertisement in a local newspaper (STATUS: Half-page advertisement ("Mommy, I Love You This Many") published in The Daily Times on May 9, 2004)
• Award to Blount County Church of the Year for outstanding pro-life promotions
  (STATUS: Restoration International Outreach [RIO] has been chosen the 2004 award winner- scheduled for formal presentation in June 2004)
• Double BCRL’s membership
  (STATUS: on track to be reached by mid-July 2004)
• Other projects.

If you have an idea for a project, go to the Contact BCRL page.