Youth for Christ

Youth for Christ International (YFCI) is the name of a number of previously unaffiliated evangelical Protestant religious campaigns which led to the creation of Youth for Christ International in 1946. Youth for Christ is a worldwide Christian movement working with young people around the globe. The main purpose for the organisation is evangelism, missionary work targeting young people.

YFC must not be confused with the Roman Catholic youth organisation CFC – Youth for Christ.

Following World War II, some Protestant evangelists began ministering to the youth of America and especially the younger members of the U.S. Armed Forces. These formerly unaffiliated activities became collectively known as "Youth for Christ" campaigns and were inspired by the work of Jack Wyrtzen in New York City during 1940. Wyrtzen was a young ex-insurance salesman who had also played the trombone in a cavalry band. The Youth for Christ campaign idea spread to Washington, D.C., Detroit, Indianapolis and St. Louis. In 1944 Torrey Johnson, a Baptist minister and pastor of Chicago's Midwest Bible Church staged "Chicagoland for Christ" and became the most successful advocate of this type of campaign.

For sixty years, Youth for Christ has been communicating the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to young people. Youth for Christ was born in the mid-1940s via dozens of leaders in different places with a concern to reach young people. This led to young evangelists conducting mass rallies in more than a dozen cities under the name of Youth for Christ. With the rapid expansion of the movement there became a need for leadership and organisation and in 1944 Chicago pastor Torrey Johnson was elected Youth for Christ’s first president, with Billy Graham as its first full-time evangelist.

By 1950, Youth for Christ was already an international movement with Youth for Christ springing up in cities around the globe.

In 1968, in a little publicized conference in Jamaica, representatives from different countries created the International Council of Youth for Christ with Dr. Sam Wolgemuth as the first International President. The number of nations with Youth for Christ ministry had grown to over 100.

Youth for Christ continued its growth throughout the 70’s and 80’s. Different ministry models and ministry emphases were developed and refined to reach young people around the world.

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