For sixty years, Youth for Christ (YFC) has been communicating the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to young people. Youth for Christ was born in the mid-1940s through an impulse from the heart of God that simultaneously touched dozens of leaders in different places with a concern to reach out to young people normal church channels were missing. This led to dynamic young evangelists, using revolutionary methods, conducting lively mass rallies in more than a dozen cities under the name of Youth for Christ. With the rapid expansion of the movement there soon became a need for leadership and organization and in 1944 Chicago pastor Torrey Johnson was elected YFC’s first president, with Billy Graham as YFC's first full-time worker.

By the 1950s, YFC had become an international movement. In 1968, we also witnessed a development that was to affect the lives and destinies of millions of young people worldwide. In a little publicized conference early that year on the Caribbean Island of Jamaica, representatives from sixteen countries created the International Council of Youth for Christ with Dr. Sam Wolgemuth as the first International President. The birth of this international coordinating body marked a significant stage in the development of what had already become a remarkable movement. The number of nations with Youth for Christ ministry has since grown from 16 to over 100. Throughout this half century, YFC's earliest and most enduring motto has been "Geared to the times, but anchored to the Rock."

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

In 1994 under the leadership of Gerry Gallimore as International President, Youth for Christ launched an extensive worldwide review of our movement led by a Task Force made up of Youth for Christ senior staff from all over the world and facilitated by an outside consultant. Their work was completed in 1996 with the publication of the Organizational Development Study (ODS) Report and presented to the Youth for Christ movement in Taiwan. The ODS recommendations were unanimously accepted by the YFC movement and so set in motion the most ambitious restructuring in YFC’s 50 year history. The ODS report underscored the need for a “new birth” of Youth for Christ involving renewal and realignment with a new vision and mission.

In March 2000 under the leadership of the then International President Jean Jacques Weiler, the YFC family came together in Muhltal, Germany for prayer and to corporately seek God’s direction. Most of the Youth for Christ leadership, including the International Board, attended the gathering, whilst others were linked through the Internet. As they worshipped and prayed together, the Lord exposed and dealt with the interpersonal and structural issues that were hindering the renovation and renewal of YFC, and by the end of that week the Lord had revealed and confirmed the way forward. The YFC International Staff and Leadership Conference (General Assembly) in Denver, Colorado later that year, with the theme “Citizens of the Kingdom…reaching the youth of the world”, became the starting point for a new interdependent spirit.

In 2001, over 40 key staff primarily made up of Leadership Team members from all over the world, came together in Valence, France to consider the recommendations of the ODS and the changes that were required for its implementation. The result of this consultation was the establishment of the Valance Covenant, that clearly identifies Kingdom principles and a spirit of interdependence that all in the YFC movement seek to follow in our relationships and ministries worldwide.

In 2002, leadership teams worldwide again met in Hungary to further explore how we could—for the first time in Youth for Christ’s history—unite behind a global ministry initiative. After a week of intense deliberation and consultation, the participants developed the framework of what later became the Global Ministry Plan. The Youth for Christ World Leadership Team met immediately after the meeting to prepare the initial draft of the Global Ministry Plan document. This was then presented to the International Board, who were also meeting in Hungary, and they gave their blessing for further development and implementation of the plan. Between 2002 and 2003, The Global Ministry Plan was communicated and discussed throughout the Youth for Christ movement.

After consultations with most of the YFC chartered nations, the Global Ministry Plan was unanimously approved by the General Assembly at a gathering of the worldwide YFC family in Belo Horizonte, Brazil September 2003. As an outcome of the adoption of the Global Ministry Plan, significant changes were set in motion. David Wraight from Australia was appointed President by the International Board with ratification by the General Assembly. Don Osman from Sierra Leone was appointed International Ministry Director responsible for the implementation of the Global Ministry Plan.

At the Belo Horizonte General Assembly a new strategic focus statement was also adopted which is foundational to the Global Ministry Plan:

“YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ and commitment to social involvement.”

We believe that God is raising up a new generation of disciples—we now call Generation Next Now—who will impact our world as never before and serve and represent Jesus Christ locally, nationally and globally.