Origin Story
The Stand For Life campaign began in 2015 when mother and visionary Jess Barfield was motivated to advocate for the dignity of 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. This storytelling call to action was the beginning work of Stand For Life.
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 (ERLC) and the mission was carried forward under their non-profit.
Simultaneous to the transition of Stand For Life to the ERLC, Lauren McAfee was building a collaborative network for life-affirming work. She hoped to see greater support in our culture for vulnerable individuals and more resources for those standing for life.
As a result, Lauren founded Life Collective, a non-profit created to share ideas and support collaborative work being done to advocate for life. Life Collective subsequently took on the stewardship of Stand For Life in 2023.
Today, under Life Collective, Stand For Life exists to equip and mobilize the Church to advocate for the dignity of every human life by engaging communities, resourcing churches, and equipping leaders.
When we believe that every person is made in the image of God, it truly changes everything. Together, we Stand For Life.
