(LifeSiteNews) — Pro-life activists outside St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Conway, South Carolina, received the scare of a lifetime earlier this month.
While raising awareness about “Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust” on Sunday, November 2, the group was confronted by 79-year old Richard Lovelace, a member of St. Anne’s.
Lovelace, who was a long-time attorney in the town, informed them “I have a grenade for you,” before pulling the device out of his pocket.
Stunned, the pro-lifers tried to remain calm. “Why do you have one of those? Is that a grenade?” Jessica Newell responded.
“For y’all. You know, a gift for you protestors,” Lovelace replied while holding it up in the air and waving it around, according to reports.
Lovelace then went inside St. Anne’s and gave the device to someone else. It was later shown to have already been deactivated and therefore incapable of exploding.
A county law enforcement official arrived on the scene and took Lovelace into custody. He faces four counts of threatening others with use of a fake device. Local media have reported that he was released the next day on a $60,000 bond.
St. Anne’s was founded in 2012. Known for its ultra-progressive views, it describes itself as an “inclusive and affirming” community of “radical love.” The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina that oversees the church issued a statement on the matter denouncing Lovelace’s actions.
“Unfortunately, a member of the church who disagreed with the protestors engaged with them in a manner that resulted in his arrest,” the diocese said. “The leadership of St. Anne’s fully respected the right of the group to peacefully protest on public property, and several parishioners offered the group water and continued into church.”
The statement also noted that they “unequivocally respect and support a citizen’s right to peacefully protest, even when opinions are contrary to that of the church or to us individually as private citizens.”
“However, we do not condone any reactive behavior that could be perceived as threatening in any way. We encourage our members to refrain from interacting with protestors in any manner that might be viewed as potentially harmful or that is contrary to our commitment as Episcopalians to respect the dignity of every human being.”
Threats made against pro-life activists are not uncommon. Nor is actual violence. In 2023, Mark Crosby, along with then-80-year-old Richard Schaefer, were severely beaten by 28-year-old Patrick Brice outside an abortion center in Maryland. Brice tackled Schaefer while repeatedly kicking and punching Crosby, who tried to intervene, in the head.
The altercation resulted in Crosby ending up in a hospital’s shock trauma unit for three days for treatment of serious injuries to his skull and eye socket as well as his knees and fingers. His right eye was blinded and he suffered a concussion. Baltimore City Circuit Judge Yvette M. Bryan eventually let off his assailant with no prison time. Crosby is currently calling on the Trump administration to pursue the case as a hate crime.
Leftist agitators also attacked 500 peaceful pro-life marchers during the Quebec March for Life on May 31, 2025. Smoke bombs, airhorns, and other forms of harassment caused difficulties for the marchers during the event.
