Young Life Explained

Young Life
Leader Title:President/CEO
Leader Name:Newt Crenshaw
Affiliations:Chicago Agreement: Unity in Mission
Founder:Jim Rayburn
Type:Christian Fellowship
Social Club
University Student Society
Outreach
Abbreviation:YL
Headquarters:Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
Location:Worldwide
Volunteers:46,340
Volunteers Year:2021-2022
Revenue:[1]
Revenue Year:2019

Young Life is an international Christian youth organization based Colorado Springs, Colorado. Young Life offers week-long Summer camps with the stated goal of evangelizing to teenagers.

The organization was started in Gainesville, Texas in 1941 by Presbyterian minister Jim Rayburn and is currently led by president and CEO Newt Crenshaw.[2] Young Life operates globally using several different organizations with different focuses.[3]

History

In 1941, Presbyterian seminary student Jim Rayburn started Young Life to evangelize to high school students who showed no interest in Christianity. He began hosting a weekly club which featured one or two skits, as well as a simple message about Jesus.

The Young Life website credits the beginning to Clara Frasher, an elderly woman who around 1933 recruited friends to help her pray for teenagers attending Gainesville High School. In 1939, Rayburn who was a young seminarian, started a chapter of the Miracle Book Club. He also worked with local pastor Clyde Kennedy. In the late 1940s at Wheaton College in Illinois, the organization began using both paid staff and volunteers. Per Young Life's website, they have had partnerships with Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as other seminaries.

Ministry

Methods

Source:[4]

Young Life operates using the "5 C's" of contact work, club, campaigners, camp, and committee. In the 2021-2022 year, an average of 294,761 teens attended weekly club and an average of 127,709 attended weekly campaigners, and was led by 46,340 volunteer leaders.

Ministry Areas

Young Life operates several different ministries with specific focuses:[5]

Camps

Numbers and locations

Young Life maintains summer camps in 18 American states as well as camps in British Columbia, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Scotland, Armenia, and France. Overall, there are 26 camps, with 6 located outside the United States.

In addition to regular summer camps, Young Life operates 6 "adventure" camps which offer campers and their leaders unique outdoor-based experiences. In "Base Camp Adventures", campers stay in yurts or cabins while participating in daily activities whereas "Trail Adventures" allows for campers to participate in backpacking-based camping.[6] Young Life also operates two "discipleship focus" camps, a ten week long work/study program for college students.[7]

The largest of Young Life camp is the Washington Family Ranch (and accompanying Big Muddy Ranch Airport) in Antelope, Oregon. The ranch was formerly the site of a commune in the Rajneesh movement.[8] [9]

Young Life hosted 215,202 campers in the 2021-2022 camping season.[10]

Camps Owned by Young Life[11] !Name!Location!Type
Adventures BajaBaja, MexicoBase Camp Adventure
Adventures Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CABase Camp Adventure
Adventures Wild RidgeMt Nebo, WVBase Camp Adventure
Beyond MalibuBritish Columbia, CanadaTrail Adventures
Cairn BraeCreiff, Perthshire, ScotlandCamp
Carolina PointBrevard, NCCamp
Castaway ClubDetroit Lakes, MNCamp
Clearwater CoveLampe, MOCamp
Crooked Creek RanchFraser, COCamp
Eagles CallPigeon Forge, TNDiscipleship Focus
Frontier RanchBuena Vista, COCamp
La FincaMatagalpa, NicaraguaCamp
Lake ChampionGlen Spey, NYCamp
LoneHollow RanchVanderpool, TXCamp
Lost CanyonWilliams, AZCamp
Malibu ClubBritish Columbia, CanadaCamp
Notch PinesBranson, MODiscipleship Focus
Pico EscondidoJarabacoa, Dominican RepublicCamp
Pioneer PlungeWeaverville, NCBase Camp Adventure
PioneerHankavan, ArmeniaCamp
Rockridge CanyonBritish Columbia, CanadaCamp
RockbridgeGoshen, VACamp
Saranac VillageSaranac Lake, NYCamp
Sharptop CoveJasper, GACamp
SouthwindOcklawaha, FLCamp
Timber Wolf LakeLake City, MICamp
Trail West LodgeCreede, COCamp
Washington Family RanchAntelope, ORCamp
Wild RidgeMt Nebo, WVCamp
Wilderness RanchCreede, COTrail Adventures
Windy GapWeaverville, NCCamp
WoodleafChallenge, CACamp

Evangelizing aspects

According to a 1994 Vancouver Sun newspaper article, out of 350 students attending one particular week-long session at the Malibu Camp in British Columbia, Canada, more than 100 publicly testified during the informal ceremony of "Commitment Night" on the final night saying they had committed their lives to Jesus.[12] One camper said, "You're treated like an adult. There's a lot more freedom here than other Christian camps." Another camper said, "But I'm starting to feel a lot of pressure to become a Christian. I used to just sit there and agree with them, just to get them off my back. But now I'm ticked."

Promotion

In 2025, Young Life partnered with Joe Gibbs Racing to replace He Gets Us as sponsor the No. 19 Toyota Supra driven by Aric Almirola and Justin Bonsignore in select NASCAR Xfinity Series races. Both JGR co-founder JD Gibbs and team president Dave Alpern were involved with Young Life.[13]

Controversies

Statement of Non-negotiables

In November 2007, Jeff McSwain, the Area Director of Durham and Chapel Hill, along with others, publicly took issue with the organization's presentation of the concept of sin. McSwain's theology emphasizes that “God has a covenant, marriage-like relationship with the world he has created, not a contract relationship that demands obedience prior to acceptance.” McSwain also took issue with Young Life's 2007 “statement of non-negotiables”. He was not satisfied with the wording of the theological principles and felt that they sounded “more Unitarian than Trinitarian by drawing a sharp contrast between the holy God and incarnated Son who ‘actually became sin.’”[14]

Tony Jones felt that Young Life's Statement of “non-negotiables” encouraged telling staffers that “they must not introduce the concept of Jesus and his grace until the students have been sufficiently convinced of their own depravity and been allowed to stew in that depravity (preferably overnight).”.[15] This interpretation is not widely held by YL staff. Eight members of Young Life's staff based in Durham, North Carolina resigned their positions after these “non-negotiables” were announced.[16]

LGBTQ+ policy

Young Life (USA and Canada) allows LGBTQ students to participate in Young Life activities, but does not allow them to volunteer or take leadership roles. In the organization's forms, homosexuality is described as a “lifestyle” which is “clearly not in accord with God's creation purposes.” Conner Mertens, the first active college football player to come out as LGBTQ, was active in the group as a teenager, and planned to work with the group in college, but was not allowed due to his sexuality.[17] [18]

Young Life's policy also extends to LGBTQ allies. Local leader Pam Elliott stepped down after being asked to remove a photo from her Facebook page showing her support for the LGBTQ community.[19] [20]

In 2020, a social media campaign titled

  1. dobetteryounglife
was created to share stories by former Young Life members who were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. [21]

2021 EEOC investigation

As of 2021, Young Life was under investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly failing to protect its employees against sexual misconduct and racial discrimination.[22] [23] [24] One alleged victim of sexual abuse reported that she informed more than a dozen people about the harassment she faced, being told at one point that it was "God's plan" for her.[25] Her case was dismissed after she received a settlement from Young Life.

A 2021 Business Insider investigation detailed allegations from nine former Young Life members across the United States who said they experienced sexual misconduct by leaders and described what they viewed as systemic failures in the organization’s reporting and accountability processes.[26]

Child Sexual Abuse Investigation

In 2025, multiple young people in Carroll County, Maryland, came forward with allegations of sexual abuse involving a former Young Life leader, Justin Rieger, prompting a criminal investigation by local law enforcement.[27] The Sheriff's office found child sexual abuse material on Rieger's phone but the investigation was concluded after the suicide of Rieger.[28]

Notable people

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Financial Info . World Wildlife Fund. November 29, 2023.
  2. Web site: Young Life Leadership - YoungLife.org . 2023-12-19 . younglife.org . en.
  3. Web site: Facts at Your Fingertips. www.younglife.org. 2020-04-21. 2020-07-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200729004637/https://www.younglife.org/ResourceLibrary/Pages/Resources/FactsAtYourFingertips.aspx. dead.
  4. Web site: Philosophies and methods - YoungLife.org . 2023-12-19 . younglife.org . en.
  5. Web site: For Every Kid - YoungLife.org . 2023-12-19 . younglife.org . en.
  6. Web site: Home - Adventure Camps . 2023-12-19 . adventures.younglife.org . en.
  7. Web site: About Us - Young Life Summer Work Experience . 2023-12-19 . dfocus.younglife.org . en.
  8. News: Preusch . Matthew . 2 December 2008 . Christian youth camp at ex-Rajneeshee commune gets $30 million gift . The Oregonian . 4 June 2013.
  9. Web site: 13 December 2018 . Oasis in the high desert . 31 August 2022 . East Oregonian . Young Life camp was once a huge sheep ranch and later a spiritual retreat for followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. . 19 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170419103345/http://www.eastoregonian.com/eo/local-news/20150718/once-a-cult-compound-now-worlds-biggest-young-life-camp . dead .
  10. Web site: 2022 Young Life Annual Report . 2023-12-19 . 2023-12-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231219021231/https://resourcesandsupplies.younglife.org/v/vspfiles/Product_PDFs/2022_AnnualReport.pdf . dead .
  11. Web site: Camp Locations - YoungLife.org . 2023-12-19 . younglife.org . en.
  12. Vancouver Sun, “Club Malibu: Young Life's luxurious Christian camp”, Douglas Todd, Sept. 15, 1994 (reprinted in 2016).
  13. Web site: Joe Gibbs Racing X Young Life - YoungLife.org . 2025-02-21 . younglife.org . en.
  14. Christianity Today, “Gospel Talk: Entire area Young Life staff out after evangelism mandate”, Collin Hansen, Jan. 7, 2008.
  15. Web site: Something is Wrong at Young Life . 8 January 2008 . Patheos . 2011-12-12.
  16. Web site: Lawrence . Rick . Heartbreak and Controversy at Young Life . Simply Youth Ministry . 17 December 2007 . 8 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100726214151/http://www.youthministry.com/heartbreak-and-controversy-young-life . 26 July 2010.
  17. News: Zeigler . Cyd . Football player's coming-out story disproves every dumb theory about gay athletes . 22 August 2019 . Salon . 1 February 2014 . en.
  18. http://drive.google.com/file/d/0B51A2rP0mKNRaWR6OEFUQjk5eDFXOG5JTEZQNzJyTDk3Rldn/view?usp=sharing Volunteer Leader Packet.
  19. Large, Jerry. “Snohomish Woman's Heartfelt Decision about Young Life.” The Seattle Times, 4 June 2015.
  20. Nile, Amy. “Volunteer Quits Young Life over Ban on Gay Leaders.” HeraldNet.com, 11 June 2015.
  21. Web site: Reporter . Carol KuruvillaReligion . HuffPost . 2020-08-14 . Youth Ministry Accused Of Deceiving Queer Teens With ‘Bait And Switch’ . 2026-02-11 . HuffPost . en.
  22. News: Carrell . Severin . Humza Yousaf 'naive' about links to evangelical Christian donor, say rights groups . 19 February 2024 . The Guardian . 14 February 2024.
  23. News: Zubeck . Pam . Young Life under investigation . Colorado Springs Indy . 17 November 2021 . en . 19 February 2024 . 19 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240219174551/https://www.csindy.com/news/young-life-under-investigation/article_ed93ee66-474e-11ec-8a4f-c79c465c9de1.html . dead .
  24. News: Debbie . Kelley . More Young Life victims allege sexual misconduct involving Colorado Springs-based Christian ministry . 19 February 2024 . Colorado Springs Gazette . 10 November 2021 . en.
  25. News: Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit Filed Against Colorado Christian Group - CBS Colorado . 19 February 2024 . www.cbsnews.com . 29 June 2020.
  26. Web site: Premack . Rachel . Young Life projects an image of cool Christianity. But former members say they experienced sexual misconduct during their time at the mega-ministry. . 2026-02-11 . Business Insider . en-US.
  27. Web site: Boteler . Cody . 2025-03-20 . Young Life leader threatened, molested teen boys in Carroll County, police investigation finds . 2026-02-11 . The Banner . en.
  28. Web site: 2025-03-18 . Taneytown substitute dead by suicide molested, threatened Francis Scott Key boys, report finds . 2026-02-11 . Baltimore Sun . en-US.
  29. Web site: J.D. Gibbs, a Young Life story . jdgibbslegacy.com/younglifestory/ . 2019-02-21.
  30. Web site: Seahawk Clint Gresham, 'I play football to glorify Jesus Christ'. October 15, 2013. MyNorthwest.com.
  31. Web site: New Artist, Brandon Heath . Hope Today Magazine . February 21, 2019 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080905174127/http://www.hopetodaymagazine.com/BrandonHeath.html . September 5, 2008 .
  32. Web site: We Were Made For This . younglife.org . February 21, 2019 . February 22, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190222041848/https://www.younglife.org/Alumni/Pages/Connections/We-Were-Made-for-This.aspx . dead .
  33. Web site: More than 60 Colts players to participate in 'My Cause, My Cleats' campaign. December 3, 2019.
  34. Web site: Jordy Nelson and Young Life . www.wearegreenbay.com/news/jordy-nelson-and-young-life/162083177 . 2019-02-21 . 2018-06-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180602104621/http://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/jordy-nelson-and-young-life/162083177 . dead .
  35. Web site: Stevie Nicks on Lindsey Buckingham 1. www.inherownwords.com.
  36. Web site: Country hit-maker Chase Rice plays at Keith-Albee on Sunday. April 13, 2019. AP NEWS.
  37. Web site: Cheering on Aaron . www.younglife.org/relationships/pages/2013/04/cheeringonaaron.aspx . 2019-02-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140912070034/https://younglife.org/relationships/pages/2013/04/cheeringonaaron.aspx . 2014-09-12.
  38. News: Man who took Horizon Air plane from Sea-Tac Airport was quiet, well liked, says former co-worker . The Seattle Times . August 11, 2018.
  39. Hare, Kristen. "Volunteer devoted his life to faith and community". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2022-12-02.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Young Life".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2026, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.