Anne Farrens to Young Leaders Summit: God can redeem your suffering

Pro-life speaker and advocate Anne Farrens took the stage at Live Action's Young Leaders Summit in March, sharing her powerful testimony as someone conceived in rape.

Farrens used her witness to drive home the point that the circumstances of a person's conception do not determine his or her worth.

Key Takeaways:

• Anne Farrens spoke at the Young Leaders Summit, sharing the story of how she learned she was conceived in rape.

• After spiraling into a destructive lifestyle which culminated in an abortion at age 17, Farrens found redemption and healing through Christ.

• She lamented that many people believe abortion should be allowed in cases of rape, saying “What I truly hear is that it would be better if you weren’t here.”

• Suffering is real, she said, but life still has value.

The Details:

I Was Conceived in R*pe. Does My Life Matter Less? | Young Leaders Summit 2026

Farrens began by asking the audience, "How many of you in this room have ever felt different?” She recounted that many people in society had been telling her she was different her whole life, with some calling her an "abomination." The difference, though, isn't visible to the human eye.

“The difference about me is the way I was conceived,” she explained. “I was conceived when a violent serial rapist broke into my mother’s home… I was conceived in rape.”

Farrens described a childhood that was "idyllic" until she learned the truth at age 12. With her newfound knowledge, she wrestled with fear and self-hatred, believing that the evil act of her biological father somehow defined her.

“I was worried that because of who my biological father was… that meant I was bad.”

That belief led her down a destructive path of addiction, abuse, and eventually an abortion at 17. This abortion had a lasting impact on her life. “Having an abortion is something you cannot undo," she said. "But you can be forgiven.”

Farrens spoke of the profound suffering she caused herself, her parents, and others, but said she ultimately found redemption in Christ.

Bringing her pain "into the light” and surrendering it to God became the path to her healing. “It’s the only way I could be free,” she said. “I had to give it all to God.”

Zoom In:

Farrens also challenged one of the most common exceptions made in abortion debates: rape.

“I hear it all the time… ‘I am 100% pro-life, except in the cases of rape.’”

To many, she said, that statement sounds compassionate. But to her, it carries another message entirely: “What I truly hear is that it would be better if you weren’t here.”

That reality shaped the crux of her message: suffering is real, but life still has value.

“Suffering is real, but God can redeem it,” she said.

In a touching moment, Farrens introduced her mother to the audience as she reflected on her mother's courageous "yes" and steadfast faith. "She welcomed me as a gift. She trusted God in her fear. She protected me so fiercely. And she never gave up on me all through those hard years," she told attendees.

The Bottom Line:

Farrens offered a final encouragement to those suffering: “Never, never give into it, because God will make it into something so spectacular."