The Teen Challenge Story
Where Teen Challenge began.
It was February 28, 1958 when the 26-year-old country preacher from rural Pennsylvania disrupted a highly publicized murder trial in New York City.
The Journey
1958
A Day in Court
David Wilkerson drives to New York City to reach seven teenage gang members on trial.
1960
The First Center
The first Teen Challenge center opens in one of the roughest areas of Brooklyn.
1987
Times Square Church
Wilkerson founds Times Square Church in Manhattan and pastors it until 2011.
Today
A Global Ministry
Over 1,200 centers in 118 nations.
The Story Behind It All
David Wilkerson had made the eight-hour drive from his quiet mountain village to downtown Manhattan for a simple reason: to speak to the seven accused gang members about their salvation. In a grave attempt to share the love of God, Wilkerson rushed to the front of the courtroom at the close of trial proceedings and pleaded publicly with the judge for permission to meet the teenage defendants.
News media were everywhere, and Wilkerson unwittingly made himself the source of headline news throughout New York City. The judge had been receiving death threats during the trial, and Wilkerson was almost arrested as a presumed assailant. The judge refused his request to see the boys and ordered him never to return to his courtroom.
Wilkerson made more than the news back in 1958. Five months after his discouraging day in court, his compassion for teenage gangs and drug addicts made history.
Read the full story in The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson.
Watch the Story
A Program That Changes Lives
A year after the trial, Wilkerson established the first Teen Challenge center in Brooklyn. Addicts and other troubled youths poured into the center and were delivered by God’s power. One skeptical psychiatrist observing the program remarked, “It seems to me you’re just using Jesus as a crutch.” “Then give me two of them,” a resident responded.
The good news spread quickly, and Wilkerson was deluged with pleas for help from all over the country. “I raised funds for the first 10-12 centers that started,” he said. Answering appeals got so demanding that he allowed the ministry to come under the Home Missions department of the Assemblies of God, and his brother Don took over as director.
Wilkerson also founded a global evangelistic ministry, World Challenge, and remained for over 40 years a man dedicated to preaching the gospel in the heart of New York City. He pastored Times Square Church until his death in April of 2011.
Based on strong Christian principles, the program welcomes residents from the streets, detox facilities, hospitals and jails. Some are referred by pastors and counselors or court-ordered into treatment by judges. Teen Challenge teaches that the key to lasting freedom from substance abuse is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Beyond Louisiana
Teen Challenge USA
Teen Challenge operates recovery programs throughout the USA. To find a men’s, women’s, or adolescent program outside of Louisiana, visit the national website and program locator.
Teen Challenge Global
Teen Challenge operates at a truly global scope, with over 1,200 centers in 118 nations. Learn more about these ministries and missions on the Teen Challenge Global website.
Louisiana Adult & Teen Challenge
Carrying the mission in Louisiana since 1987
The same hope that began in a New York courtroom lives on here at home. Our Louisiana journey began in 1987 when Greg and Abigail Dill founded Greater New Orleans Teen Challenge Inc. As we expanded to 7 campuses statewide, serving men, women, and women with children, we became known as Louisiana Adult & Teen Challenge. Today, Louisiana Adult & Teen Challenge brings every level of care together as one organization. Resurgence Recovery, our licensed medical program in West Monroe, provides inpatient detox and stabilization, and our long-term campuses carry on the Christ-centered discipleship model that began with David Wilkerson in 1958.
Ready to start your own story?
Hope is here. Our team is ready to help you or your loved one take the first step.
