Sanctity of Human Life Chapel Features One of Michigan's Leading Pro-Life Voices
For alumnus Jim Sprague (B.A. ’84), the National Sanctity of Human Life Day brought cultural awareness to a position that he champions every day as a Christ follower and as the leader of Michigan’s largest nonprofit medical clinic for women with an unplanned pregnancy: the sacredness of human life.
Sprague has worked as a nationally known pro-life advocate and the chief executive officer at PRC Grand Rapids for more than two decades, beginning his appointment in April 2001. In addition, he serves as the state director for the Michigan Coalition for Pregnancy Wellness and the board chairman for the National Association of State Pregnancy Wellness Coalitions. During a special Sanctity of Human Life Chapel at Cornerstone University on January 22, Sprague shared wisdom about ways to approach difficult conversations while defending the Bible’s teachings on the preciousness of human life.
“As you are in Christ, you are covered in Christ’s holiness,” Sprague stated. “You are a saint, a priest, a king. There’s a godliness that adorns you. And all of human life is at the crowning achievement of all that God has created.”
Sprague guided students, faculty and staff to consider three cases that affirm the value of human life:
- The Biblical case for the sanctity of human life. Highlighting the responsibilities of females and males in nurturing, protecting, and defending human life as image bearers of God, Sprague provided reflections on three Scripture passages: Genesis 1:26-27, Jeremiah 1:5, and Psalm 139:13-14.
- A logical case for the sanctity of human life. Utilizing the acronym SLED, Sprague defended a pro-life position by explaining how size, level of development, environment or degree of dependency do not determine the value of a human life.
- Jesus Christ’s case for the sanctity of human life. Sprague summarized Luke 4:14-30 and Joshua 5:13-14, reflecting on how Jesus’ transformative perspective on the intrinsic value of human beings applies to everyone — including the most vulnerable.
In closing, Sprague encouraged the Cornerstone community to recognize the image of God in each person.
“You are valuable — [of] inestimable value — to the LORD,” Sprague concluded. “And this is why for 23 years I have been part of this organization, PRC of Grand Rapids, because of its mission to ‘live the truth that people matter to God.’”
Sprague earned his Bachelor of Arts in history/social sciences from Cornerstone in 1984 and holds a Master of Social Work from Grand Valley State University. In 2014, he was highlighted in the Grand Rapids Business Journal where he shared his story about coming to live a life of faith, receiving the call to PRC and being featured in “Leading for Life” by Sue Fultz, a book commissioned by Care Net. Sprague received the Alumnus of the Year award from Cornerstone in 2023.
Watch a video recording of the 2024 Sanctity of Human Life Chapel from January 22, 2024. To listen to more chapel messages and receive notifications of new teachings, follow Cornerstone University Chapel on Spotify and CornerstoneU on YouTube.
