International Life Chain Sunday
by Dr. Peter Hammond
International Life Chain Sunday
5 OCTOBER 2025
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” Proverbs 31:8
Africa Christian Action has been organizing life chains in South Africa since 1992. This last Sunday, the 5th of October, marked 33 years of ACA mobilizing Christians in Cape Town to stand for life, in obedience to the Scriptural command to:
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” Proverbs 31:8
“Wisdom calls aloud outside, she raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gate in the city, she speaks her words.” Proverbs 1:20-21
This we did in Buitengracht Street, downtown Cape Town between the entrance to the Waterfront and the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
As I set up the first banner on the pedestrian bridge: a person is a person no matter how small, a young woman walked up to me and declared: “I am a Christian and I find your banner offensive!” While I was wondering what could possibly be offensive about that factual statement, two young men strode up to me and shouted: “what a pity your mother didn’t abort you!”
Then they started to shout: “abortion saves lives!” We tried to have some constructive conversations with the many passers-by on the pedestrian bridge.
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Life Begins at Conception.
If the absence of a brainwave
is considered the sign of death,
why then is the presence of this brainwave
not accepted as a confirmation of life?
Birth is not a magical act that turns a non-human
into a person. Birth is only a change in environment
for a life that began many months before.
Every abortion stops a beating heart.
Every abortion ends a brainwave.
Every abortion is the murder of a helpless
and innocent human being.
“They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters…
the land was desecrated by their blood.” Psalm 106:37-38
Evangelistic Outreach
There was much more traffic than normal, and a heavy traffic police presence. We were able to distribute thousands of world missionary press Gospel booklets to passing motorists and pedestrians at the busy intersections. American missionary evangelist Small Paul and his son Tiny Tim Did some open air preaching using chalk talk to draw people to Christ. The choir from KwaSizabantu Mission Moreson sang a number of inspiring hymns And many prayers were offered for mothers in crisis pregnancies, for sidewalk counselors, crisis pregnancy centers, for the medical personnel involved in making a stand for life in an often hostile environment, for journalists who need to give the other side of the story, for the politicians who legalized this abortion Holocaust and for the voters who all too often waste their precious votes on pro abortion political parties. We also prayed for more pastors to clearly teach on what the Bible says on when life begins and on our duty to rescue those being led away to death:
“If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!
Rescue those who are led away to death; hold back those staggering towards slaughter.
If you say, but we knew nothing about this, does not He who weighs the heart perceive it?
Will He not repay each person according to what he has done?”
Proverbs 24:10 -12
On 1st February 1997, abortion-on-demand was legalised in South Africa. The “Termination of Pregnancy“ Act was probably the most controversial and unpopular piece of legislation to be enacted in South Africa. At the time, the Ministry of Health reported receiving hundreds of thousands of submissions concerning the proposed legalisation of “abortion on demand.”
Over 98% of these submissions opposed the legalisation of abortion. Tens of thousands marched to Parliament to, amongst other concerns, oppose abortion. Scores of delegations and thousands of submissions to the Constitutional Assembly also implored the authorities not to legalise the killing of pre-born babies. Many surveys and opinion polls confirmed that the vast majority of South Africans were against abortion.
The Life Chains are a Peaceful protest, an Evangelistic outreach and a public prayer vigil:
“If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14.
The Pro-Life Movement in South Africa
South Africa seems to be the first country where a vigorous pro-life movement was already established before the legalisation of abortion. The Protestant pro-life movement in South Africa was launched in earnest in 1991 by Africa Christian Action and Christians for Truth.
Africa Christian Action published the first pro-life leaflets and the first pro-life Handbook for South Africa - Fight for Life and organized the first pro-life demonstrations and Life Chains.
Why Has the Church Grown Silent?
How is it that, despite such initial opposition to the legalization of abortion, we still have abortion over 28 years later? Why has the Church grown silent?
Have we accepted the status quo and given up? Or have too many become too afraid to speak out?
“Even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” John 12:42-43
Cowardice is Destructive
Compromise and cowardice hurts everyone concerned. Cowardice is destructive and short-sighted.
In Revelation 21:8, cowards are at the Top of the list of those who will be condemned by God for all eternity, thrown into the Lake of Fire. But God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
Christian Courage
The Word of God commands us not to be afraid of any man (Deuteronomy 1:17). We are warned that the fear of man will prove to be a snare (Proverbs 29:25). The Scriptures tell us of those who would not say anything about Jesus publicly for fear of the people (John 7:13). Even the Apostle Peter, who was normally so bold and brave, gave in to compromise and cowardice when “he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the Gospel…” then the Apostle Paul rebuked them openly (Galatians 2:12-14).
Stand Up for Jesus!
Fear of disapproval, fear of being embarrassed, fear of being ridiculed, fear of unpopularity, fear of being misunderstood and being lied about, fear of failure, of suffering, pain and death, fear of loss and sacrifice can all too easily lead us to stay seated when we should stand up, to stand still when we should step out, to remain silent when we should speak up, to remain passive and inactive when we should fight for what is right. “Who will rise up for Me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for Me against evildoers?” Psalm 94:16
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the determination to do our duty in spite of our fear. Some rational, God-given sense of caution can protect us and our loved ones and prolong life.
But if fear paralyses us into inactivity, neutrality, compromise, cowardice, defeat and disobedience, then it is evil.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
We are not called to be popular, but faithful. The Great Commission is not about how to win friends and influence people, but how to make disciples of all nations, teaching obedience to all that the Lord has commanded. Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, we need to stand firm in the Faith, no matter what the cost. We are called to submit to God, to resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7). We are called to overcome the world:
“Because He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
Poland – Abortion Legislation Reversed
We do believe there is hope. If we repent of our silence and begin to speak out, God will have mercy on South Africa. There are several countries where abortion has become illegal again. In Poland, under communist rule there were consistently over 100,000 abortions registered each year. In 1990, with both the church and doctors discouraging abortion, the numbers fell to 59,400. Then in 1993, abortion was banned except for danger to the life of the mother, foetal handicap, or rape.
Love in Action
The Bible calls us to be compassionate towards those who are in a crisis pregnancy situation. It also calls us to courageously speak out against the injustice and national sin of abortion.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” Proverbs 31:8.
“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this’, does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will not He repay each one according to what he has done?” Proverbs 24:11-12
Born and raised in Africa, Dr. Peter Hammond has been a pioneer missionary to some of the worst war zones in the world.
Dr. Peter Hammond has served persecuted churches and pioneered evangelistic outreaches into Mozambique, Angola, Sudan, Rwanda, Congo and Nigeria. In the course of his missionary activities Peter has been ambushed, come under aerial and artillery bombardments, been stabbed, shot at, beaten by mobs, arrested, imprisoned and tortured for Christ.