Ethan Walker
40 Days for Life is an international organization that campaigns against abortion in more than 60 nations worldwide. The campaign involves 40 days of prayer and fasting in shifts outside of a clinic or hospital that performs abortions or is an abortion referral center. It was originally started in 2004 by members of the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life in Texas and has since been described as Catholic in news sources such as the Catholic News Agency and the Catholic Register.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature of the campaign | Anti-abortion |
| Target | Abortion facilities |
| Participants | Individuals, churches, families, groups, students, priests |
| Activities | Prayer, fasting, community outreach, media outreach, door-to-door petitions, education drive |
| Locations | North America, Canada, UK, Australia, Northern Ireland, Spain, 64+ nations |
| Impact | Shut down 150+ abortion facilities, saved thousands of babies, converted 200+ abortion workers |
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What You'll Learn
The campaign's history and growth
40 Days for Life is an international organisation that campaigns against abortion in more than 60 nations worldwide. It was founded in Bryan, Texas, in 1998 by Shawn Carney, a Catholic student, in response to the opening of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in the city. The campaign is rooted in the belief that prayer and fasting are essential to carrying out God's will. Each campaign consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting outside abortion facilities, with participants signing a ""Statement of Peace" pledging to act lawfully and peacefully.
The name "40 Days for Life" refers to a pattern of events lasting 40 days in the Bible, such as Noah's Ark, Moses's 40 days on Mount Sinai, and Jesus's 40 days in the desert. The campaign is held twice a year, in the spring during Lent and in the fall, with simultaneous vigils in hundreds of cities worldwide. Since its inception, the campaign has grown rapidly, with thousands of individual campaigns taking place in over 1,000 cities across 64 nations, involving more than a million people.
The campaign has been particularly successful in the United States, where it originated, and Canada, where it was introduced in 2007. In the US, there have been over 6,400 local campaigns, with more than 16,000 confirmed instances of potential patients deciding against abortion. The campaign has also contributed to the closure of abortion facilities, including the Bryan Planned Parenthood centre, which was bought by 40 Days for Life in 2014.
The campaign has faced opposition from abortion rights activists, who have pursued legal avenues to prevent anti-abortion activists from approaching women or standing near abortion facilities. In Canada, for example, provincial governments have passed laws criminalising pro-life expression within a certain distance of abortion facilities. Despite this, the campaign has continued to grow, with participants finding creative ways to express their views, such as through media outreach and door-to-door petitions.
The success of 40 Days for Life has been attributed to its ability to unite people of faith and conscience in a common cause, sending a powerful message about the tragic reality of abortion and offering alternatives to women in crisis. The campaign has also led to conversions, with over 260 abortion workers quitting their jobs and thousands of women spared the trauma of abortion, according to the organisation.
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Prayer and fasting
Fasting is also considered a sacrifice that helps people reach beyond their limitations with God's help. Participants in the 40 Days for Life campaign believe that when they fast with a broken, repentant, and contrite spirit, their heavenly Father will hear them and heal their lives, churches, communities, nations, and the world.
The public centerpiece of the campaign is a focused, 40-day, non-stop, round-the-clock prayer vigil outside a Planned Parenthood center or other abortion business in communities. Prayer volunteers are expected to pray quietly, silently, and peacefully, sending a powerful message to the community about the tragic reality of abortion.
The 40 Days for Life campaign has seen success in the United States, leading to its expansion to Canada and other countries. Since 2007, the campaign has contributed to shutting down abortion facilities, saving lives, and increasing pro-life support worldwide.
The campaign also includes community outreach and media efforts to spread its message to every corner of the community. Participants show their support through wristbands, yard signs, and bumper stickers. College campuses are also targeted for intense 40-day campus outreach, including flyer raids, public witness, petition drives, and table displays.
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Community outreach
40 Days for Life is an international organisation that campaigns against abortion in more than 60 countries worldwide. It is an internationally coordinated 40-day campaign that aims to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and peaceful vigils. The campaign also involves outreach to the community to promote awareness.
The first 40 Days for Life campaign of the year takes place during the Christian season of Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday and ending on Palm Sunday. The campaign consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting in shifts outside of a clinic or hospital that performs abortions or is an abortion referral centre.
During 40 Days for Life, the message is proactively taken to every corner of the community. Media outreach is conducted through targeted news stories, talk shows, and editorials. Church involvement includes meeting with local pastors, church leaders, and members of different congregations. A door-to-door petition and education drive reaches out to every household in the town or city.
The effort is funded through donor contributions and application fees. Each local campaign pays a nominal fee to apply, which covers part of the costs incurred by the headquarters team in producing training and resource materials. The remainder of the costs is covered by 40 Days for Life's benefactors.
The organisation has a proven track record of saving lives and closing abortion facilities in over 1000 cities in 64 countries. More than 25,000 babies have been saved, and 159 abortion centres have been closed since 2007.
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Conversions and lives saved
40 Days for Life is a faith-based movement that campaigns against abortion. It is an international organization that has been active in more than 60 nations worldwide since its inception in 2004. The name refers to a repeated pattern of events lasting for 40 days in the Bible, such as Noah's Ark, Moses's 40 days on Mount Sinai, and Jesus's 40 days in the desert.
The campaign consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting outside abortion facilities, peaceful vigils, and community outreach. The visible, public centerpiece of the campaign is a focused, 40-day, non-stop, round-the-clock prayer vigil outside Planned Parenthood centers or other abortion businesses. Participants believe that their prayers and fasting will help carry out God's will and reach beyond their own limitations with God's help.
Since 2007, 40 Days for Life participants have reported tens of thousands of lives saved from abortion during their campaigns, with over 25,353 lives saved and more than 150 abortion facilities shut down. The campaign has also contributed to a groundswell of pro-life support worldwide, with more than 200 abortion workers experiencing conversion and leaving their jobs.
One notable example is Abby Johnson, Planned Parenthood's employee of the year, who changed her mind about abortion during the sixth 40 Days for Life campaign in Bryan/College Station, Texas. She turned to the 40 Days for Life team for encouragement as she left her job. Less than a year later, 40 Days for Life came to Sherman, Texas, leading Ramona Trevino to leave her job managing a Planned Parenthood. These two women are among those whose lives were transformed through the campaign, and they now stand as powerful witnesses to the value of life.
In addition to saving lives and facilitating conversions, 40 Days for Life has positively impacted communities by offering hope, compassion, and love to those considering abortion. Through media outreach, door-to-door petitions, and education drives, the campaign proactively spreads its message to every corner of the community. It encourages church involvement by meeting with local pastors, other church leaders, and members of different congregations. By standing as a peaceful and educational presence, 40 Days for Life sends a powerful message about the tragic reality of abortion and provides alternatives to those facing difficult choices.
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Criticism and controversy
40 Days for Life is a faith-based movement that campaigns against abortion. It was founded in 1998 by Shawn Carney, a Catholic student in Bryan, Texas, in response to the opening of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in the city. The movement has since expanded internationally, with campaigns taking place in over 60 countries and involving more than one million participants.
The campaign involves 40 days of prayer and fasting outside abortion facilities, with participants taking shifts to maintain a continuous presence. It also includes community outreach and media efforts to spread awareness about abortion and target women considering abortion. Participants are required to sign a "Statement of Peace," pledging to act lawfully and peacefully during the campaign.
The 40 Days for Life campaign has faced criticism and controversy from abortion rights activists and governments. Some of the key points of criticism and controversy include:
- Harassment and intimidation: Abortion rights activists have accused the campaign of promoting harassment and intimidation of patients and staff at abortion facilities. They claim that the presence of protesters outside abortion facilities creates a hostile and intimidating environment for those seeking abortion services. In the United Kingdom, abortion rights activists have reported an increase in harassment of clinic patients during the 40 Days for Life campaign. The campaign organizers deny that they promote harassment and state that their activities are peaceful and educational.
- Buffer zones and free speech: In Canada and Europe, abortion rights activists have pursued legal avenues to establish buffer zones around abortion facilities, preventing anti-abortion activists from approaching women or standing near abortion clinics. These buffer zones have been criticized by 40 Days for Life supporters as a violation of their freedom of speech and expression. They argue that these laws criminalize peaceful prayer and deny women alternatives to abortion.
- Interference with access to abortion services: Abortion rights activists argue that the 40 Days for Life campaign interferes with women's access to legal abortion services. They claim that the presence of protesters outside abortion facilities creates a barrier for women trying to access these services and contributes to a culture of stigma and shame around abortion.
- Misinformation and disinformation: Critics argue that the campaign spreads misinformation and disinformation about abortion, often using religious rhetoric to influence public opinion and shape policy debates. They claim that the campaign's messaging fails to provide accurate and comprehensive information about abortion, instead promoting a one-sided and biased perspective that does not recognize the complexity of the issue.
- Impact on healthcare workers: The campaign has been criticized for targeting healthcare workers, particularly those working in abortion facilities. The constant presence of protesters outside their workplaces has been reported to cause stress and anxiety for staff, impacting their mental health and well-being.
- International expansion and interference: As the campaign has expanded internationally, it has been criticized for interfering in other countries' abortion policies and laws. In Ireland, for example, 40 Days for Life campaigned against abortion clinics before the 2018 constitutional amendment that legalized abortion. Critics argue that the campaign undermines the sovereignty of nations and the rights of women in those countries to make their own reproductive choices.
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Frequently asked questions
40 Days for Life is an international organization that campaigns against abortion in more than 60 nations worldwide. It involves 40 days of prayer and fasting in shifts outside of a clinic or hospital that performs abortions or is an abortion referral center.
The name refers to a repeated pattern of events lasting for 40 days in the Bible, such as Noah’s Ark, Moses’s 40 days on Mount Sinai, and Jesus’s 40 days in the desert. It was originally started in 2004 by members of the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life in Texas.
The goal of 40 Days for Life is to end abortion. The organization believes that prayer and fasting will help them reach this goal, with God's help.
40 Days for Life is a Christian organization with participants from various denominations, including Catholic. The founder of 40 Days for Life, who previously identified as Presbyterian, entered the Catholic Church on Easter in 2025.
