Leading the Charge

Editors August 1, 2019

Leading the Charge

On a summer day in 1879, fourteen-year-old Luther Warren and seventeen-year-old Harry Fenner walked along a country road in Hazleton, a Michigan town between Flint and Lansing. They were worried about their friends who seemed to be slipping away from God and wondered what they could do to help them. The idea of establishing a boys’ mission society began to develop in their minds so, right there, in a corner of a deserted field, they knelt down and prayerfully committed their plans to God.

Soon after, the first Adventist Youth Society, comprised of nine boys, was born in Luther’s bedroom. From an inauspicious beginning, right here in the Lake Union, a worldwide movement was born.

In this youth and young adult issue, we set out to reacquaint (or introduce) you to some of our dedicated leaders helping to further the mission that these two boys launched 140 years ago. Meet our longest-serving conference Youth director (since January 2001), Indiana’s Charlie Thompson, and our newest (appointed February 2019), Michigan’s Chad Bernard.

- Editors