Teen Challenge
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| Founded | 1960 |
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| Founder | David Wilkerson |
| Location | |
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Area served
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110 countries |
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Key people
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Dr. Jerry Nance, since 2007 |
| Website | globaltc.org |
Teen Challenge is a network of Christian faith-based corporations intended to help teenagers, adults, and families with problems such as substance abuse. It was founded by David Wilkerson in 1960. The global headquarters is in Columbus, Georgia, United States. The president is Dr. Jerry Nance, since 2007.
The ministry that would later become Teen Challenge was founded in 1960 by David Wilkerson, an Assemblies of God pastor who left a rural Pennsylvania church to work on the street among teenage gang members and socially marginalized people in New York City and who, perhaps, is best known for later authoring The Cross and the Switchblade and founding Times Square Church. Teen Challenge started its first residential program in December 1960, in a house of Brooklyn.
In 1973, 15 years after the ministry began, Teen Challenge established a national headquarters.
In 1995, Global Teen Challenge was founded to assist the growing number of Teen Challenges starting up outside the US, but struggling to acquire the necessary resources and training.
The official Statement of Purpose of Teen Challenge is, "To provide youth, adults and families with an effective and comprehensive Christian faith-based solution to life-controlling problems, such as substance abuse, in order to become productive members of society. By applying biblical principles, Teen Challenge endeavors to help people become mentally-sound, emotionally-balanced, socially-adjusted, physically-well, and spiritually-alive."
While the residential model continue to be the primary service of Teen Challenges around the world, an increasing number of community small groups and other non-residential models are also used.
Teen Challenge USA is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. Though self-governing, it also exists as a department of the U.S. Missions division of the Assemblies of God USA. The US network consisting of ~80 501(c)3 corporations representing ~200 residential programs.
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