Generation. Youth. Christ. (GYC)

Generation. Youth. Christ. (GYC), formerly known as Generation of Youth for Christ or General Youth Conference, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States, positioned as a supporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It began in 2002 after a small group of college and university students in Michigan came together, motivated by a desire to deepen their understanding of the Bible and find others with similar interests.¹ Today, GYC represents a worldwide movement of young people who, according to their mission statement “yearn to demonstrate Nehemiah’s leadership, Daniel’s integrity, Mary’s humility, Paul’s passion for evangelism, and Christ’s love for God and humanity.”²

Background

GYC was conceived by Israel Ramos and Justin Kim in 2000. Ramos, a recent graduate from Hartland College (a self-supporting institution in Rapidan, Virginia), was a missionary at the Center for Adventist Ministry to Public University Students (CAMPUS) under the Michigan Conference. Kim was a young Korean-American from the Boston area who had recently gone through a spiritual revival and helped form a group called Students Preparing Adventists for the Return of Christ (SPARC). The two men met at an intercollegiate program hosted by CAMPUS for Adventist students who were part of secular campus ministries. Following the meeting, Ramos and Kim kept in contact; thus, when Ramos conceived of a conference to bring students together who were serious about their faith and willing to sacrificially serve God, Ramos contacted Kim with the idea.³

As Ramos, Kim, and their colleagues planned the event, their goal was to create a deeply authentic spiritual experience driven by insightful Bible study, heartfelt prayer, and powerful preaching. They wanted to provide an alternative to the prevailing model of youth ministry that in their view centered on a superficial, entertaining experience that lacked substance and did not seem effective in fostering long-term commitment to the denomination and its mission. Instead, Ramos and Kim wanted to nurture a deeper connection to God which led youth into lives of Seventh-day Adventist Christian service. Thus, they purposefully chose Christmas vacation, when students usually enjoy the comforts of home, to draw out those people most passionate about serving God.⁴

The event was initially called the General Youth Conference, leading many to mistakenly associate it with the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. After rebranding as Generation of Youth for Christ in 2007,⁵ it had to change its public name again to avoid trademark conflict with another United States entity. Currently, it goes by Generation. Youth. Christ. even though it is legally registered as Generation of Youth for Christ.⁶

GYC Conferences

GYC’s first event was planned for 2002 in Pine Springs Ranch, California. Kim, Ramos, and their friends assembled 200 names they would personally invite to attend. Word began to spread, and by the time the event started over 400 people had shown up.⁷ The following year 1,000 people attended a second conference at the University of Michigan. These events were planned with the informed support of CAMPUS and the Michigan Conference.⁸

GYC continued to grow in the following years with 1,600 people attending in 2004,⁹ 2,600 in 2005,¹⁰ and between 6,000 and 7,000 in 2011.¹¹ Subsequently, registration typically averages between 3,000 and 4,000 people with many regional youth conferences being organized worldwide. Except for GYC Europe, which was planned with the coordination and support of GYC, most have been organized independently of GYC by young people in different regions.¹² One of the earliest was the South East Youth Conference (SEYC) in 2004.¹³ Other regional conferences have been held across North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Africa, and in Asia, in the Philippines. At the time of writing, it is estimated that at least 10,000 youth and young adults aged 13 to 35 attend these events annually.¹⁴

Challenges and Criticism

Despite its success, GYC has experienced several challenges. Confusion over the relationship between GYC as an independent supporting ministry of the denomination and its various youth departments, as well as a perceived lack of cooperation between them, were sources of tension for many years. GYC was drawing large numbers of youth and young adults to its events without the counsel of these departments that held responsibility for denominational youth ministry. On the other hand, various leaders from the General Conference accepted invitations to attend, making it appear as though they were supporting GYC in lieu of endeavors conducted under the auspices of denominational youth ministry. Youth leaders were invited to “simply say the opening remarks but never speak at a GYC.”¹⁵ Since 2016 the relationship between GYC and the Church has become more cooperative. The General Conference youth director was invited to present a seminar and speak for the divine service in 2018 and was interviewed for GYC’s podcast the following year. Nevertheless, this relationship varies from year to year depending on the effort made by GYC to collaborate with the various levels of the Church in the regions where they hold their events. The primary focus for collaboration is typically on local outreach and follow-up.¹⁶

Samuel Koranteng-Pipim was influential in helping bring together and mentor the founders of GYC through his work as the director of CAMPUS. He was also a frequent speaker at GYC conferences and a board member of the organization when he resigned in 2011 because of a personal moral failure during overseas travels.¹⁷ He had previously repented of what he described as a “sexual encounter,” keeping it private until it became publicly known. This led to his resignation decision as sexual offense allegations began circulating. In accepting his resignation, the GYC board noted the severity of his having betrayed “the sacred trust of spiritual leadership with a moral fall.” Many GYC participants felt hurt by Pipim’s betrayal of their trust. The board also recognized that “the work of the gospel message is never built around one person, no matter how much light and influence he or she has exhibited for truth. Our Messiah, Jesus Christ, is our Leader, and our message is built on Him, our Rock.”¹⁸ Although he has not attended GYC since, Pipim was eventually re-baptized in 2014 and resumed independent ministry as a public speaker, but lost church membership again in January 2021.¹⁹

GYC has also been accused of advocating for Last Generation Theology, the idea that before the latter rain can fall and Jesus can return, a generation must achieve sinless perfection.²⁰ This accusation may be traced to GYC’s conservative character exemplified by the speakers invited to preach, which exhibitors are approved, and strong Michigan Conference representation on its board.

However, reports of GYC’s conservatism may be overstated by critics, as the GYC executive committee represented a diversity of viewpoints in its second decade. Programming is typically designed to focus on mission and annual themes rather than theology, though this does not prevent speakers from expressing their personal views. Because GYC has historically had many speakers and participants from independent, Last Generation Theology-associated ministries, this sub-culture has contributed a prominent percentage of attendees and volunteers to each event. GYC has not taken a formal theological position on this topic. In 2009, Justin Kim published the only statement by GYC leadership related to the organization’s theological position.

I think there were some who thought we were mimicking an ultraconservative side of the church. And, in truth, our group did attract some from that edge. The clarity of the message we were emphasizing certainly was welcomed by more conservative members, and it colored our public image at the beginning. We believe now what we believed then— that we’re trying to bring all sides of the church together under a very clear banner of what the Adventist message means to all of us as young people, to our generation.²¹

Mission and Service

Mission and service are a central theme for GYC. GYC often challenges young people to finish the work of the gospel using the tagline “in this generation,” a phrase inspired by Ellen White’s statement in her book Education, “With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Savior might be carried to the whole world!”²²

Each conference dedicates a day to one or more outreach or mission-centric projects.²³ At the 2023 conference, volunteers built 107 beds for children and packed and distributed 2,000 bags with blankets and other supplies for unhoused populations in Portland, Oregon. These projects were done in partnership with local non-profits.²⁴ Depending on the year, pre-conference, post-conference, or mid-year mission trips have been held in various places in collaboration with local conferences and unions. One of the largest was in 2019. GYC aimed to reach Iceland, commonly regarded as one of the most secular countries in the world. Working with the Icelandic Conference, GYC organized prayer-walks in several cities, praying for people, and sharing literature when appropriate. In ten days, 75,000 families were individually prayed for, thousands of miles were prayer-walked, and more than 150,000 tracts were distributed.²⁵ GYC has also challenged and provided resources to train young people to become intentionally involved in their local churches. In 2018, around 800 baptisms were reported from this initiative.²⁶ Projects vary by year based on the vision and direction of the current executive committee.

Organizational Structure

GYC is incorporated as a 501c(3) charitable non-profit under the United States’ Internal Revenue Code. Since its inception GYC has been run almost exclusively by young people who volunteer their time to coordinate each conference and any other projects. A core group of young people form an executive committee (ECom) under the direction and guidance of a more age-diverse board of directors. According to the bylaws, the board manages the non-profit's business, property, and affairs.²⁷ An administrative committee (AdCom) comprised of the president, executive secretary, treasurer, and general vice president serves as the liaison for the board of directors and executive committee. The rest of the executive committee (including the programming, logistics, evangelism, and marketing vice presidents) do not have seats on the board.

The board also selects or dismisses executive committee members and approves all projects and programming presented by the executive committee and its programming committee. Executive committee members are elected for two-year terms and may be asked to serve successive terms. Executive committee members are typically aged out by around 30 to keep the average age of leadership young. This helps encourage ongoing relevance to their target age demographic of 15 to 35. The Executive committee is expected to develop a strategic plan for each year’s conference and then see it through successfully. Each vice president on the executive committee typically has a sub-committee of additional volunteers.²⁸

This structure has specific challenges. One of the foremost challenges is continuity from one vice president to another. The mechanism for passing responsibilities down relies upon the documentation of the previous youth or young adult leader, which can vary drastically. As the board tends to be composed largely of prior executive committee members, it aims to provide stability and guidance when needed. While the board functions primarily to empower the executive committee, the fact that it must approve all programming and projects can be both protective and limiting.

Between 2015 and 2022, GYC’s annual revenue averaged about $810,000, which goes back into running each conference and other mission-related initiatives. The only paid position is one part-time secretarial employee. During this same period, the revenue minus expenses averaged about $34,000.²⁹ Funding comes primarily from conference registrations and donations, with a project-based grant from Adventist-laymen’s Services & Industries (ASI) nearly every year.³⁰

Presidents

Israel Ramos (2002-2007), Justin McNeilus (2008-2013), Natasha Dysinger (2014-2015), Moise Ratsara (2016-2019), and Andrew Park (2020-present).

Sources

Conference, Ohio. “Seventh-day Adventist Church Removes Samuel Koranteng-Pipim from Membership in Ohio.” Spectrum, January 18-19, 2021. Accessed June 7, 2024. https://spectrummagazine.org/news/seventh-day-adventist-church-removes-samuel-koranteng-pipim-membership-ohio/.

Damsteegt, Joelle. “Tennessee: GYC Attendees Recruit Hundreds of Bible Study Interests.” ARH, February 9, 2006.

Girven, Samuel. “Thousands Reached through GYC Evangelism Projects.” gycweb.org. December 30, 2023. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://gycweb.org/daily-newsletter/thousands-reached-through-gyc-evangelism-projects/.

GYC. 2024. Accessed June 7, 2024. https://gycweb.org/about-us/.

________. Bylaws of the GYC. GYC, 2015. Privately shared by GYC upon request.

________. “GYC Beyond.” gycweb.org. 2020. Accessed June 7, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20200930052625/https://gycweb.org/beyond/.

________. “GYC Missions: Give Me Iceland Film.” GYC. 2020. Accessed June 7, 2024. .

________. “GYC the Movement.” 2023. Accessed June 6, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMSYEfdhQsg.

________. “P990.” IRS. 2015–2022. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://beta.candid.org/profile/6975651 .

________. Statement Regarding Dr. Samuel Koranteng-Pipim. 2011. Accessed June 14, 2024. https://www.drpipim.org/index.php/201-ananswertoeveryone.

Hlatshwayo, Sikhululekile, Justin Kim, and Stephanie Quick, eds. For This Purpose: A Compilation of Sermons and Presentations from GYC. United States of America: Generation of Youth for Christ, 2008.

Kim, Justin. “A Great Awakening: The Remarkable Story of Generation of Youth for Christ.” ARH, December 24, 2009.

“Letter Claiming to Be from Ghanaian Church Contradicts Ohio Conference Press Release.” AdventistToday.org, February 9, 2021. Accessed June 7, 2024 https://atoday.org/letter-on-ghanaian-church-letterhead-contradicts-ohio-conference-press-release/.

Ocsai, Y. Suzanne. Something's Happening: The Story Behind the Scenes Story of GYC. Sandy, OR: Adventist Today Foundation, 2014.

“Projects.” Adventist-laymen’s Services & Industries. 2024. Accessed June 6, 2024. https://asiministries.org/projects/.

Reis, André “Viewpoint: Before Men and Angels–Sabbath at GYC.” Spectrum, January 9, 2014. Accessed June 7, 2024. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/viewpoint-men-and-angels-sabbath-gyc/.

Notes

1. GYC, “About Us,” 2024, accessed June 7, 2024, https://gycweb.org/about-us/.↩

2. GYC, “Our Mission,” 2024, accessed June 7, 2024, https://gycweb.org/about-us/.↩

3. Justin Kim, “A Great Awakening: The Remarkable Story of Generation of Youth for Christ,” ARH, December 24, 2009, 18; GYC, “GYC the Movement,” 2023, accessed June 6, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMSYEfdhQsg.↩

4. Israel Ramos, Personal Testimony on the History of GYC (Houston, TX: March 20, 2016); GYC, “GYC the Movement,” 2023, accessed June 6, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMSYEfdhQsg.↩

5. Sikhululekile Hlatshwayo, Justin Kim, and Stephanie Quick, eds., For This Purpose: A Compilation of Sermonas and Presentations from GYC (United States of America: Generation of Youth for Christ, 2008).↩

6. GYC’s official organizational name as a 501(c)(3) is listed here. GYC, “P990,” IRS, 2015–2022, accessed June 9, 2024, https://beta.candid.org/profile/6975651.↩

7. Staci Osterman, “Michigan to Host General Youth Conference 2003,” Lake Union Herald, November 1, 2003, 23.↩

8. Justin Kim, “A Great Awakening: The Remarkable Story of Generation of Youth for Christ,” ARH, December 24, 2009, 18.↩

9. Staci Osterman, “General Youth Conference Calls Youth to Evangelism,” ARH, February 17, 2005, 18.↩

10. Joelle Damsteegt, “Tennessee: GYC Attendees Recruit Hundreds of Bible Study Interests,” ARH, February 9, 2006, 19.↩

11. Derek Morris, “United in Love: An Interview with Daniel R. Jackson,” Ministry, October 2012, 7.↩

12. Joshua Nebblett, “The Hour Has Come: GYC Joins Forces with European Adventist Youth Ministries to Help Re-Ignite the Reformation,” Adventist World, July 2012, 22.↩

13. Southern Adventist University Marketing and Relations Department, “Tennessee: Young Adults ‘Catch the Flame’ of Mission at SAU,” ARH, April 2, 2005, 21.↩

14. Moise Ratsara, “GYC Affiliates,” interview by Eric Louw, January 5, 2024.↩

15. Y. Suzanne Ocsai Something's Happening: The Story Behind the Scenes Story of GYC (Sandy, OR: Adventist Today Foundation, 2014), chap. 15, Kindle.↩

16. Personal knowledge of the author as from GYC vice president for communication.↩

17. Samuel Koranteng-Pipim, “An Answer to Everyone,” 2012, accessed May 7, 2024, https://www.drpipim.org/index.php/201-ananswertoeveryone; Spectrum Staff, “Samuel Koranteng–Pipim Cancels Speaking Appointments and Resigns from Michigan Conference,” Spectrum, May 31, 2011, https://spectrummagazine.org/post-archives/samuel-koranteng-pipim-cancels-speaking-appointments-and-resi/. and Spectrum Staff, “Healing the Wound of God’s Daughters: A Response to the Michigan Conf. President’s Letter,” Spectrum, September 3, 2012, https://spectrummagazine.org/post-archives/healing-wound-gods-daughters-response-michigan-conf-presidents-let/.↩

18. GYC, “Statement Regarding Dr. Samuel Koranteng-Pipim,” GYC, December 27, 2011. https://www.drpipim.org/index.php/201-ananswertoeveryone↩

19. Spectrum Staff, “Samuel Koranteng-Pipim Re-Baptized,” Spectrum, June 26, 2014, accessed June 7, 2024, https://spectrummagazine.org/post-archives/samuel-koranteng-pipim-re-baptized/; Ohio Conference, “Seventh-day Adventist Church Removes Samuel Koranteng-Pipim from Membership in Ohio,” Spectrum, January 18–19, 2021, accessed June 7, 2024, https://spectrummagazine.org/news/seventh-day-adventist-church-removes-samuel-koranteng-pipim-membership-ohio/; “Letter Claiming to Be from Ghanaian Church Contradicts Ohio Conference Press Release,” AdventistToday.org, February 9, 2021, accessed June 7, 2024, https://atoday.org/letter-on-ghanaian-church-letterhead-contradicts-ohio-conference-press-release/.↩

20. André Reis, “Viewpoint: Before Men and Angels–Sabbath at GYC,” Spectrum, January 9, 2014, accessed June 7, 2024, https://spectrummagazine.org/views/viewpoint-men-and-angels-sabbath-gyc/.↩

21. Kim, 21.↩

22. Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1903), 271.↩

23. Osterman, “General Youth Conference Calls Youth to Evangelism,” 18-19.↩

24. Samuel Girven, “Thousands Reached through GYC Evangelism Projects,” gycweb.org, last modified December 30, 2023, accessed June 9, 2024, https://gycweb.org/daily-newsletter/thousands-reached-through-gyc-evangelism-projects/.↩

25. Eric Louw, “Melting Iceland–a New Approach to Mission,” Trans-European Division, 2019, https://ted.adventist.org/news/melting-iceland-a-new-approach-to-mission; GYC, “GYC Missions: Give Me Iceland Film,” GYC, 2020, accessed June 7, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFUYr3FdE44.↩

26. GYC, “GYC Beyond,” gycweb.org, 2020, June 7, 2024, https://web.archive.org/web/20200930052625/https://gycweb.org/beyond/.↩

27. GYC, Bylaws of the GYC (GYC, 2015), 1.↩

28. GYC annually reports an average of 100 volunteers, see: GYC, “P990.”↩

29. GYC, “P990.”↩

30. “Projects,” Adventist-laymen’s Services & Industries, 2024, accessed June 7, 2024, https://asiministries.org/projects/.↩