LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH MINISTRY AS A PROFESSIONAL CAREER AND THE DISTINCTIVES OF LIBERTY UNIVERSITY YOUTH MINISTRY TRAINING IN PREPARING STUDENTS FOR YOUTH WORK A Thesis Project Submitted to Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF MINISTRY By David E. Adams Forest, Virginia March 15, 1993 Copyright 1993 David E. Adams All Rights Reserved LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY THESIS APPROVAL SHEET A Grade Mentor Reader ABSTRACT THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH MINISTRY AS A PROFESSIONAL CAREER AND THE DISTINCTIVES OF LIBERTY UNIVERSITY YOUTH MINISTRY TRAINING IN PREPARING STUDENTS FOR YOUTH WORK David E. Adams Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 1993 Mentor: Dr.Ronald Hawkins The purpose of this thesis project is to demonstrate that youth ministry is a viable discipline warranting appropriate career consideration for those called into ministry. This project documents the development of the distinctiveness of the Liberty University Youth Major in preparing men and women for youth work. The first part documents the historical roots of youth ministry. Special attention is given to significant events, important personalities and founding youth organizations. Part two reveals how youth ministry became a profession. Ecclesiastical and sociological influences are considered. Section three demonstrates how Liberty University is responding to the need to prepare competent professionals. Total Number of Words: 100 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iv LIST OF TABLES ix INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 10 PART ONE THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF YOUTH MINISTRY PROFESSION I. THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH MINISTRY 17 Pre-1800 / s Youth Work 17 Revival at Amherst I Dartmouth l Princeton 17 1700/s - Discovering the roots of modern. day youth ministry 19 1706--1st mention of student organization 19 Second Great Awakening Hampden-Sydney 22 Two approaches of student ministry 24 Robert Raikes founded the Sunday School 25 1787-1830 Missionary Societies 26 The Organization of Campus Ministry "Haystack Prayer Meetings" at William College 1806 27 The YMCA 1858-1878 sweeps the Nation 28 World Christian Association/World Council of Churches 31 Theodore Cuyler Youth Group patterned after YMCA 32 Christian Endeavor SocietYI Epworth League I The Baptist Young People Union l Luther League 32 20th/ s Century Expansion 33 Boys Clubs (1906) I 4-H Clubs (1907) I Campfire Girls (1910) I Boy Scouts of America (1910) 33 Evelyn McClusky--Birth of High School Campus Ministry "Miracle Book Club" 34 Adolescents become a "People Group" Stanley Hall/s Book (1905) 35 Piaget l Kohlberg 36 Public Education forms a subculture 37 4 factors affecting church youth groups 38 4 reasons for transition period for youth ministry 39 Metropolitan Youth Ministry 39 Industrial Revolution 39 Francis E. ClarkI Christian Endeavor 40 1930 Church/based youth ministry established 42 Public School replaces the home 43 Scopes Trials 44 v PART TWO II. PROFESSIONAL YOUTH WORK ESTABLISHED 46 Youth Profession Established 47 Youth for Christ 1935-1967 47 The Great Depression 47 1948 Supreme Court Religious Instruction in Public School ruled unconstitutional 48 World War II 48 Lloyd T. Bryant (1932) Full-time Youth Pastor 51 Percy Crawford, Jack Wyrtzen, Jim Rayburn, Torrey Johnson, Billy Graham 51 1,450 Cities host YFC rallies (1949) 52 Youth Groups of Baptist Bible Fellowship 53 Big Churches phenomenon & youth groups 55 High School Club organization & structure, McClusky 56 Campus Life, Fellowship of Christian Athlete's, Young Life 58 Youth Ministry becomes a profession in America 59 Word of Life Clubs (1959), Student Venture (1966) 59 Local Churches focus on youth ministries 61 133 Denominations have organized youth ministries 61 144 organizations focus on adolescents 64 53 schools focus on training youth leaders 69 Globalization of young people 70 3 Facts about youth missions 72 The youth ministry is a distinct discipline 77 Responding to the "transition myth" 78 Youth Ministry fits under theology 79· Defining "profession" 81 The position of "Youth Pastor" established by 1960 83 Base salaries of Youth Pastor $30,308 84 Rationalization warning for the profession 88 PART THREE III. THE DEVELOPMENT OF LIBERTY UNIVERSITY YOUTH MINISTRY PROGRAM 90 The Evolution of the Bible College and Christian Liberal Arts Institution 91 Harvard, Yale " ... to know God in Jesus Christ" 92 State Universities were Protestant Institutions 93 Colleges of Arts and Science depart religion 93 Bible Institute becomes Bible College Accreditation 94 L.U. Youth Major influenced by ParaChurch Model 97 1967 LCA, 1971 L.U. 98 Lynchburg Baptist College ... train workers for church ministry . 99 Three names for same school 1971, 1976, 1986 100 Luff founds Youth Major 1971 101 vi Youth/Worker Major with 144 credit hours 103 "Specialist minister", long term career 104 Action/oriented curriculum 106 Youth ministry laboratory at TRBC 106 Accreditation & leadership change in Youth Program 108 Monolithic approach in training 109 "Dark Daysll of Liberty Youth Program 1979-1980 110 New era for L.U. Youth Major marked growth 110 YouthQuest Club 112 Center for Youth Ministry 113 "Pure" Youth Major reinstituted 114 Summarization of Development of L.U. Youth Major 115 IV. THE LIBERTY YOUTH MAJOR PROGRAM 117 Four vital components of the program 117 Multiple pastoral approach, called by God 118 Eight Youth Ministry Course Descriptions 119 "Hot Poker" Philosophy 123 Youth Major, a numerical minority on campus 123 Christian Service, vital to training 125 Student, Apprentice, Intern, Resident, Professional 126 V. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THOMAS ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH AND THE YOUTH MINISTRY MAJOR 129 TRBC is THE Laboratory for practical training 129 liThe Silent Year" no catalog, TRBC disenfranchised 131 10 Contributors to TRBC disenfranchisement 133 Youth Majors are last to dissolve relationship 133 Statistics reveal downward trend of TRBC involvement 135 TRBC, not a normal Church but a good model 136 Sites for practical training: TRBC, YQ Club, Outreach teams, Christian Service Extension 137 L.U. Church Extension "pandora's box" 141 Proposed six churches to serve as II Laboratories II 142 VI. PROPOSED MANUAL FOR YOUTH MINISTRY APPRENTICESHIP 143 Eight distinctives of the Apprenticeship Program 144 Relationship of Apprenticeship Program with the CYM 147 Desirable outcome for apprenticeship participation 150 General Information of YMA 151 Operating Procedures for the YMA 155 YMA Application Procedure 155 Guidelines for YMA 157 Objectives and goals for the apprentice 159 YMA assignments 160 YMA site guidelines 162 YMA Guidelines for supervisory professors 167 YMA Appendices 169 vii VII. ASSESSING THE LIBERTY UNIVERSITY YOUTH MAJOR 181 Specific goals of Department of Church Ministry 181 Best of Breed Study 183 Eight Schools identified as Best of Breed 185 Summarizations of Best of Breed Study 185 National Survey results 186 Liberty is in top four of 567 188 Professional Endorsements 190 Fact Finding 193 Goals of Fact Finding trips 194 Advisory Board for the CYM 196 Threefold Purpose of CYM Board 197 Placement Service 198 VIII.FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE LIBERTY UNIVERSITY YOUTH MINISTRY MAJOR 200 Graying of the West, Diapering the Rest of the World 201 Worldwide Urbanization 202 Immigration 204 Youth Ministry will continue to expand 206 Greater Number of Youth Professionals 206 Greater Need for Graduate Program 206 Leadership will pass the mantle, CYM will be challenged 207 APPENDIX A. Denominational youth work, youth organizations 209 B. Youth Curriculum Publishers 215 C.. Liberty University Youth Ministry Graduates 1974-1992 218 D. Center for Youth Ministry Placement Services (sites actually contacted) 222 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 238 VITA 265 viii LISTS OF TABLES Table Page 1. Historical Summary of influences of the profession 60 2. Resources for Youth Leaders 64-67 3. Partial listing of 53 schools with Youth Majors concentration 69-70 4. Field of Theology is basis for Youth Ministry: Lamport 80 5. Base salaries for 5 denominations 84-85 6. Nine summary points of development of Youth Major 115 7. Eight youth course descriptions 119-120 8. FiveFold process: Student, Apprentice, Intern, Resident, Profession 126 9. Ten reasons for TRBe disenfranchisement 133-134 10. Other churches/sites where Youth Majors can serve 139-140 1l. Best of Breed summary/recommendation 183-186 12. Ten largest cities projected in 2020 203 ix INTRODUCTION Youth Ministry is coming of age. The twentieth century has experienced the professional evolution of youth work in the local congregation, parachurch and denominational movements. By the end of the historical period and in less than 169 years, youth ministry would emerge as an integrated component of no less than 194 American denominations. 1 In the same time period, over 145 youth organizations would blossom to address the needs of the American adolescent. As adolescent ministry emerged into a discipline, a vacuum of leadership developed. Religious institutions scrambled to locate qualified personnel to lead their respective youth ministries. In 1971 Liberty University was founded as a liberal arts institution. One of the many majors offered included an extensive and comprehensive training program for men and women called into youth ministry as a vocation. For over twenty years graduates of the youth ministry major at Liberty have assumed significant roles in the local church and parachurch ministries. This project will attempt to answer two