Adopted Eight Children . . . Coach Tony Dungy Will Headline 2023 March for Life
By STEVEN ERTELT
WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeNews) — NFL Coach Tony Dungy will headline the list of speakers at the 2023 March for Life in the nation’s capital this year.
The pro-life former coach and NFL analyst has been a pro-life advocate for many years and has been celebrated for adopting multiple children and putting those pro-life views into everyday practice.
Dungy was inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame and is a New York Times best-selling author who continues to be involved in numerous charitable organizations. He’s a respected football analyst on television.
He said on Twitter that speaking at the pro-life event was “Just doing what the Lord asked us to do.”
Recently, the former Indianapolis Colts coach said this has been a “blessing” for him and his wife Lauren.
In an interview with Air 1 Radio, the Dungys shared how they strive to say “yes” to God while managing a household with 11 children, including three foster children and eight who were adopted, CBN News reports.
“We believe that we’re being obedient to God’s calling on our lives,” Lauren Dungy said. “…We both love children and are passionate about mentoring, supporting, and encouraging children and actually people of all ages.”
The Dungys are strong pro-life Christians who believe in caring for the most vulnerable children in society, born and unborn. More than 30 years ago, after hearing about a great need for foster parents in church, the couple said “yes” to the calling, according to the report.
Looking back, Lauren said all the children who they have helped to raise through foster care and adoption have been a “blessing.” and “a rewarding experience.”
“Saying yes means being obedient to God’s calling,” Lauren said. But “it often involves sacrifices but that’s what we do and Tony and I have done this our entire lives…saying yes. It may be uncomfortable or we may have questions as we obediently answer to God but He doesn’t take us down a path for nothing.”
One of the ways they manage their chaotic lives is by taking time every morning to pray and setting aside at least half an hour for just the two of them, the Dungys said.
To people who are not sure what God is calling them to do, Tony encouraged them to pray and listen.
“One thing Lauren and I talk about amongst ourselves is, is it something that is glorying God?” he said. “Is it something that we’re passionate about? And if both of those are yes, then there’s a good chance we are hearing from the Lord.”
Tony continued:
“We just think that Christianity — people can say it’s weird. People can say it’s different. But Jesus said, ‘We go down a narrow road,’ and the path is not the broad path that the whole world is on. So, we choose to look at that as not weird or different but uncommon. And then with influence, we wanted to let people know that they can have an influence in their world in a lot of different ways.”
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who won the Dobbs Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade; Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse; Sr. Mary Casey of the Sisters of Life; Dr. Christina Francis, CEO-elect of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and Gina Tomes, program director of the Bethlehem House maternity home, will join Jonathan Roumie, best known for his award-winning role as “Jesus” in The Chosen, are among the other speaks who will appear.
The theme for this year’s March for Life, “Next Steps: Marching Forward Into a Post-Roe America,” emphasizes the need in the absence of Roe v. Wade for pro-life advocates to continue boldly marching in defense of the unborn — both on the state and federal level — and advocating for a minimum federal standard to protect innocent life against radical pro-abortion legislation.
“We are overjoyed to welcome these inspiring leaders at this year’s 50th March for Life, the first in our post-Roe nation,” said Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life Education and Defense Fund. “With Roe now behind us, we are empowered to save countless innocent American lives by continuing to advocate for commonsense protections at the state and federal level, educating Americans on the intrinsic dignity of all human life.
“This year will be a somber reminder of the millions of lives lost to abortion in the past 50 years, but also a celebration of how far we have come and where we as a movement need to focus our effort as we enter this new era in our quest to protect life.”
Speakers include:
Jonathan Roumie, best known for his award-winning role as “Jesus” in the groundbreaking series, The Chosen, a drama about the life of Jesus Christ.
Coach Tony Dungy, New York Times bestselling author and Pro-Football Hall of Famer.
Dr. Christina Francis, CEO-Elect of AAPLOG.
Gina Tomes, director of the Bethlehem House Maternity Home.
Sr. Mary Casey, Sisters of Life.
Casey Gunning, teacher’s assistant and lifelong athlete in the Special Olympics.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who won the Dobbs Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade.
The Most Rev. Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, Va., will lead the opening prayer, with Franklin Graham, American evangelist and missionary, delivering the closing prayer. Logan Earnest, a College Knight from George Washington University, will deliver the Pledge of Allegiance, and Ariel Walden will sing the national anthem.
We Are Messengers, the GMA Dove-nominated and K-LOVE Award-winning musical group, will perform the pre-rally concert.
The 50th annual March for Life, the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration, will be held on January 20, 2023 in Washington, D.C.
