Early years, 1940s–1950s Youth for Christ rallies were first held in
New York City in 1940, organized by
Jack Wyrtzen, 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. The name "Youth for Christ International" was adopted in 1946. By then, Youth for Christ International had approximately 300 units in the United States and over 200 overseas. The average attendance at rallies in 1946 was 350. The largest attendance at that time was 70,000 at
Soldier's Field in Chicago. Evangelist
Billy Graham was the first full-time evangelist of YFCI. Graham took over Johnson's local radio program called
Songs in the Night which was broadcast over a local station in Illinois and predated YFCI. The movement also benefited by promotional publicity in the newspapers and magazines owned or influenced by
William Randolph Hearst.
The 1960s–1980s 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 1970s and 1980s. Different ministry models and ministry emphases were developed and refined to reach young people around the world. During this time the current Youth for Christ logo was launched and adopted by the global organization.
The 1990s–2000s In 1996 a report was presented to the Youth for Christ movement in Taiwan, with recommendations for a restructuring of the organisation. In March, 2000, the Youth for Christ organisation met in Muhltal, Germany. Most of the leadership, including the International Board, attended the gathering. The Youth for Christ worldwide Staff and Leadership Conference (General Assembly) was held in Denver, Colorado later that year. ==Leadership==