About Us
The HistorySince 1987
The Peaceful, Prayerful, Public Witness of Pro-Life Supporters
Our History
Life Chain 2020 marks the 33rd anniversary of Life Chain and is planned for November 1st in light of COVID-19 (while many chains will assemble on the traditional first Sunday in October, October 4th ).
The first Life Chain, born through prayer, was built in 1987 by Please Let Me Live, a small pro-life ministry based in Yuba City, CA. Half the churches of Yuba and Sutter Counties occupied assigned sections of a three-mile route through sister cities Yuba City-Marysville, with 2,500 Christians holding Abortion Kills Children signs on both sides of the street. “It was good to stand for righteousness,” was a typical response from participants. “I felt God’s presence,” remarked others.
The Life Chain elevated the Life ministry to high respectability in Yuba-Sutter by helping to unite churches and to inform the local press, law enforcement, public officials, and the area citizenry about the unconscionable killing of preborn boys and girls. Today, surgical abortions are no longer performed in Yuba-Sutter.
In 1989, Bakersfield, CA built the second Life Chain with 7,500 participants from 101 churches. Soon other California cities followed. National Life Chain Sunday 1991 saw 373 chains built in the US with 771,000 participants. From 1995 through 1999 approximately 900 Life Chains were built annually in America and Canada combined, and while total attendance has declined significantly, emphasis on prayer and serious reflection on the current abortion holocaust has increased substantially.
In 2019 there were approximately 2,000 Life Chains across the US and Canada. There has been an increase in the pro-life awareness in part thanks to powerful truths about the sanctity of life as depicted in movies such as Unplanned, the story of Abby Johnson, a pro-life activist who formerly worked at Planned Parenthood as a clinic director. Another was the 2018 documentary of the abortion atrocities of Dr. Kermit Gosnell. Exposing the truth on abortion was frequently a major media story in 2019.
2020
The start of Life Chain’s second chapter includes a renewal of energy to bring churches, ministries and organizations together to build a praying powerhouse to end abortion.
2020
After 33 years of devoted service, Life Chain founder, Royce E. Dunn steps down and installs Shannon Moloney, from Holland, Michigan, as the new national director.
2000–2020
For the next twenty years, Life Chain continues on growing its numbers gradually in new cities, building over 2,000 chains!
1999
Life Chain holds at around 900 chains.
1997
1996
1995
1994
There were more than 900 chains but lower number of participants from 1992.
1993
There were more than 900 chains but lower number of participants from 1992.
1992
National Life Chain Sunday builds 800 with 975,000 participants.
1991
1991
1989
Bakersfield, California holds the second Life Chain with 7,500 participants from 101 churches.
1987
Please Let Me Live (PLML), a small pro-life ministry based in Yuba City, California builds the first Life Chain. Royce Dunn, President of PLML is the visionary behind Life Chain. More than 2,500 Christians attend holding Abortion Kills Children signs while praying for the nationwide crisis.