If you don't feel at home in either Pro-Life or Pro-Choice, welcome to ProGrace.
ProGrace is a trusted guide for Christians seeking to resemble Jesus in the abortion conversation. We create resources and learning experiences that are rooted in scripture and the example of Jesus, not partisan politics.
Discover ProGrace:
Free online learning with community support
Equip:
Online learning and support for pregnancy organizations and direct service providers
Resources:
Free resources to help you explore a Jesus-centered approach to the abortion conversation
Speaking Events:
Invite Angela Weszely to speak at your church, conference, or on your podcast
Founder's Story
— Angela Weszely, Founder & CEO
I thought I was building bridges, but I kept hitting walls.
That’s how I felt nearly two decades ago as the new leader of a Christian pregnancy organization. Whether I was networking with medical facilities or talking with neighbors, I often found myself faltering when my carefully crafted ‘non-political’ elevator speech was met with awkward silence or skepticism.
But here’s what really got to me: These reactions forced me to ask: What had been said or done to create this perception of Christians in this field?
Founder's Story
— Angela Weszely, Founder & CEO
Angela Weszely is the CEO of ProGrace, helping Christians reimagine how we engage one another across one of the most polarizing issues of our time: abortion. As a bridge builder, she invites Christians of all denominations and political affiliations to recover a Jesus-centered way of engaging this conversation that moves beyond the pro-life/pro-choice divide.
For more than twenty years, Angela has worked in direct service and alongside Christian leaders—developing the framework that now shapes ProGrace’s approach to engaging this conversation.
Angela frequently appears on podcasts and in public conversations with leaders of diverse perspectives, consistently drawing attention to what Christians hold in common.
Read How This Question Led to ProGrace →
The answer wasn't what I expected. As I examined our organization's practices, I discovered we had built our programs on assumptions rather than research. Testimonials revealed a troubling pattern: women often felt treated as a means to an end rather than as individuals needing support.
This realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I had sometimes felt diminished in certain aspects of my identity as a woman in the church, and I was determined not to contribute to that experience for other women. Yet I had also found deep healing in the church, among believers who emphasized that God's kingdom is a realm where all have equal worth and dignity.
Then came the moment that changed everything. I felt the Spirit highlight Psalm 139:13-16, saying, "This passage is just as much about the woman." Suddenly I saw it, our language consistently emphasized the child's value over the woman's, creating the very binary we claimed to transcend. I wanted to advocate for both because I knew God values both equally.
So I did something radical: I started listening. Without revealing my position, I asked people about their views on abortion and Christian organizations. The feedback was sobering: genuine concerns about manipulation, bias, and lack of authentic support. I realized we hadn't truly listened to the women we served, which stood in stark contrast to Jesus's ministry.
Within three years, we reformed our practices around active listening, social work ethics, and genuine case management. And as I began sharing this journey with fellow Christians and church partners, I discovered something beautiful: I wasn't alone in this tension.
Many believers wanted a way to equally value both women and children but struggled to find language that fit. They were tired of choosing political sides that didn't reflect their faith. They wanted to respond like Jesus but lacked a clear framework.
ProGrace launched in 2016. And we’ve been on a mission since then to offer the theological framework and practical tools that could transform how Christians engage these conversations entirely.
Download the introduction of Becoming ProGrace to read more about Angela's story
Read How This Question Led to ProGrace
The answer wasn't what I expected. As I examined our organization's practices, I discovered we had built our programs on assumptions rather than research. Testimonials revealed a troubling pattern: women often felt treated as a means to an end rather than as individuals needing support.
This realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I had sometimes felt diminished in certain aspects of my identity as a woman in the church, and I was determined not to contribute to that experience for other women. Yet I had also found deep healing in the church, among believers who emphasized that God's kingdom is a realm where all have equal worth and dignity.
Then came the moment that changed everything. I felt the Spirit highlight Psalm 139:13-16, saying, "This passage is just as much about the woman." Suddenly I saw it, our language consistently emphasized the child's value over the woman's, creating the very binary we claimed to transcend. I wanted to advocate for both because I knew God values both equally.
So I did something radical: I started listening. Without revealing my position, I asked people about their views on abortion and Christian organizations. The feedback was sobering: genuine concerns about manipulation, bias, and lack of authentic support. I realized we hadn't truly listened to the women we served, which stood in stark contrast to Jesus's ministry.
Within three years, we reformed our practices around active listening, social work ethics, and genuine case management. And as I began sharing this journey with fellow Christians and church partners, I discovered something beautiful: I wasn't alone in this tension.
Many believers wanted a way to equally value both women and children but struggled to find language that fit. They were tired of choosing political sides that didn't reflect their faith. They wanted to respond like Jesus but lacked a clear framework.
ProGrace launched in 2016. And we’ve been on a mission since then to offer the theological framework and practical tools that could transform how Christians engage these conversations entirely.
Board of Directors
Jane May
Board Chair
Partner, McDermott, Will, and Emery, Chicago
Gwenn Garmon, M.S., M.D.
Board Vice Chair
Director of Women’s Health (Retired) Jesse Brown VA Hospital, Chicago
Rev. Dr. Darice Wright
Board Treasurer
Ordained Baptist minister and Assistant Pastor, Life Church-Chicago Heights, IL
Jenna Gyorfi, Esq.
Board Secretary
Director, Private Foundations, Cedarstone Partners, Inc., Wheaton
Rev. David Bisgrove
Board Member
Senior Pastor (Retired) Redeemer Presbyterian Church Westside, Manhattan
Advisory Board
Skye Jethani
Award-winning author, speaker, pastor, and co-host of The Holy Post Podcast, Wheaton
Rev. Amy Peeler, PhD.
New Testament professor at Wheaton College, ordained Episcopal priest, and the author of Women and the Gender of God.
Kurt Tillman
Director, Private Foundations, Cedarstone Partners, Inc., Wheaton
Trusted Partners
CONVERSATION
Continuing the Dialogue Toward Christian Unity
CARE
Connecting with Direct Service Organizations
Becoming ProGrace
Becoming ProGrace articulates a uniquely Christian response to abortion that calls us to take on the character of Christ rather than trying to change others, offering a much-needed message of hope for our divided world.
Join thousands of Christians who are bringing a Jesus-centered approach to one of our country’s most divisive conversations.
Find language and a better way to engage in the abortion conversation.
