Contact: Wesley Strackbein, 210-340-5250 ext. 222, wesley@visionforum.com

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April 19 /Christian Newswire/ -- Michelle Duggar, mother to 19 and star of TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" has been selected to receive the "Mother of the Year Award" as part of a special ceremony at the Baby Conference: A Historic Family Summit on the Triumph of Life Over the Culture of Death, to be held July 8-10 in San Antonio. Michelle and her husband Jim Bob are featured speakers at the event, sponsored by Vision Forum Ministries, which is expected to draw more than 2,000 to the Alamo City.

"Michelle Duggar is the real deal," noted Doug Phillips, President of Vision Forum Ministries. "She embodies the very best of a Christian role model for women. She is a highly intelligent and gracious woman of God and a capable and faithful helpmeet to her husband Jim Bob. As a mother, Michelle is singular. She has modeled for millions a passion for God's gift of the fruit of the womb and a tenderness and wisdom in raising her 19 children that have been downright inspiring."

Phillips added: "Michelle's love for life and the blessing of childbearing has been an integral part of their family's uplifting witness. She is clearly a mother deserving of this award, and we are excited to honor her as 'Mother of the Year.'"

The Baby Conference will feature encouraging messages on the blessing of children and the culture of life, special lectures and panel discussions for mothers, forums on child-training, and presentations for the whole family that explore the wonder of God's creation through the intricacies of the womb. It is also expected to bring out a large number of families that have adopted children as well as many who are considering adoption. The event will address the "who, what, where, why, and how" of adoption, and featured experts will address the plight of the Haitian orphan, as well as other international adoption priorities.

Jim Bob and Michelle will share their story together, and Michelle will also be hosting a separate Ladies Tea Time, which is close to selling-out in the two weeks since the event was announced.

"The hard-heartedness of the pro-abortion, statist Left toward life is really highlighted by the contempt and scorn shown toward the Duggars," Phillips observed. "Liberal commentators and leftist activist groups such as PETA have viciously mocked the Duggars for having a large family, often using language too obscene to repeat.

"The remarkable success of their television show, as well as their widespread popularity within mainstream America, points to the fact that there is still a significant part of the American culture that view children as a blessing," remarked Phillips. "We rejoice in the Duggars' outspoken testimony in favor of fruitfulness. The Bible calls the fruitful womb a blessing, and we support the Duggars in their defense of this proposition."

The Baby Conference will also engage hard-hitting, but pertinent bio-ethical issues ranging from abortion to human cloning, from surrogacy to genetic engineering, from brain death to the use of abortifacient technology like "the Pill." Featured speakers at the summit will address these and other pertinent topics in a way that edifies and equips families to have a joyful and triumphant outlook toward the blessing of children.

"This year marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of 'the Pill'," Phillips concluded. "And as media attention centers on the victory of selfishness and the defeat of the biblical family that has followed in the wake of the contraceptive movement, we are committed to defending and celebrating life -- in particular, the blessing of children and their role in building healthy cultures and vibrant households. Our unequivocal counsel is this: We must preserve and celebrate life amidst a culture of death."

To interview Doug Phillips about the Duggars and The Baby Conference, contact Wesley Strackbein by e-mail at wesley@visionforum.com or by phone at (210) 340-5250, ext. 222.

Visit The Baby Conference homepage to learn more about the event: www.visionforumministries.org/events/bc/.