Pro-Life Advocates to Unite at 2025 Midwest March for Life

Pro-life supporters from across the state are heading to Jefferson City on May 1 for what organizers expect to be their largest gathering yet. The 2025 Midwest March for Life, now in its 15th year, combines public events with prayer under this year’s theme, “Pour Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled.”

The day has been organized for 15 years by 40 Days for Life. Kathy Forck, the organization’s director, says this is the time for Missourians to get involved. “Missouri has gone from an abortion state to an abortion-free state and now back to an abortion state,” she told Metro Voice. “Now more than ever people need to voice their belief that all life is sacred, precious, and ordained by God.”

Her sentiments are echoed by other Missouri organizations working to protect life at all levels.

“Abortion takes the lives of millions of unborn children every year in the United States,” says Bev Ehlen, President of Liberty Link Missouri PAC. “This event is being held to honor and glorify Jesus Christ and defend innocent life.”

The day starts early. At 8 a.m., participants will walk through the Capitol, praying. By 9:45, they’ll recognize state lawmakers who’ve supported pro-life legislation. The main rally starts at 10, with the actual march kicking off at 11:30.

David Bereit, who runs the Life Leadership Conference and started 40 Days for Life, will speak at the rally. He’s joined by Christina Bennett, a correspondent for Live Action, and Brandy Meeks, who leads the Vitae Foundation.

Activities planned

The South lawn will buzz with activity all day. More than 35 organizations plan to set up booths, and the Pregnancy Help Center’s mobile unit – nicknamed Miss Daisy – will show visitors how they support women facing tough decisions about pregnancy.

Anyone getting hungry can grab lunch at St. Peter Church, where the Knights of Columbus are grilling hot dogs, serving chips, ice cream, cookies, and water. They’re donating all the proceeds back to the march.

The event wraps up at 1 p.m. with the National Day of Prayer on the Capitol’s south steps. If it rains, they’ll move to the Selinger Center at St. Peter Church.

“It’s very apparent that we need a great move of God in America,” Ehlen says, emphasizing the event’s connection to the National Day of Prayer.

The march, which started in 2010, has become a mainstay in commemorating the January 22, 1973, U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Since then, it’s grown into one of the largest pro-life gatherings in the Midwest, bringing together advocates from Missouri and surrounding states. Now, with the overturning of Roe,  pro-life activists have turned their efforts to the states, who have been acknowledged by the Supreme Court as having the authority to ban or legalize the procedure.

For more information on the May 1 event, visit www.midwestmarchforlife.com.

–Metro Voice