How did Stand For Life begin?

The Stand for Life campaign began back in 2015 when a mom and visionary named Jess Barfield was moved to advocate for the dignity found in every human being. She posted a photo with a filter over it that had one beautiful word… LIFE. 

Jess’s post went viral within 48 hours and this prompted her to found a campaign with a call to Stand for Life. Countless people then shared posts of their own stories to advocate for the value in all people, hoping to empower others to make a difference in their own communities.  

In 2019, in an effort to help steward the momentum, the Stand for Life campaign officially became a part of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. 

Meanwhile, Lauren McAfee was working for Hobby Lobby, a life-affirming corporation, and pursuing a PhD in ethics. Being impacted by both, she longed to see greater support in our culture for vulnerable people and those advocating for them. 

Lauren was inspired after seeing the amazing progress made in Bible translation when various organizations collaborated intentionally on the work. She began to imagine what could be accomplished if organizations advocating for the dignity of human life began to connect and collaborate more together. 

As a result, Life Collective was founded by Lauren as its own non-profit and launched what we now currently know as Stand For Life in 2023. This new collective impact alliance was created to share ideas, needs and to collaborate on the work being done to advocate for life with a desire to truly change our history, our cultures, and most importantly change lives. 

Stand For Life exists to equip and mobilize the Church to advocate for the dignity of every human life through engaging communities, resourcing churches, and equipping leaders. 

Because when we believe that every human person is made in the image of God, it truly changes everything. Together, we Stand For Life.