Twice in our past, brave writers have undertaken the task of putting the Youth Department history into print. The first was Matilda Erickson, the very first secretary in the first youth department working with the first director, M. E. Kern. The second one was tried by a historian by the name of Nathaniel Krum, under the guidance of the newly-elected world youth director, Theodore Lucas. No matter how hard one tries, the story gets abbreviated, lost in time, fuzzy and less precise. And sometimes gets easily gets reduced to a few names and dates. We forget that these were/are people; people who loved God; people who have tons of exciting moments, difficult moments, shattered moments, moments we could all learn valuable lessons from. The true heroes are the youth of the past, present and future who follow our aim, “The Advent message to all the world in my generation.”
Our History
General Conference Youth has adopted the “I Will Go” logo of the world church for the next five years. “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior,” (Psalms 127:4) our youth and young adults are designed by God to be sent into the world with the three angels message (Revelation 14:6-12). This urgent and prophetic message lifts up Jesus as the world’s Savior and His free gift of righteous by faith.
We also call upon young people to go and be the “Hands and feet of Jesus” in their local churches, on campuses, in the cities, as well as in the unreached countries of the world! In these trying times, the world need Adventists more than ever! We fervently pray that every Seventh-day Adventist young person from ages 4 to 30 will join the world church in saying “I Will Go!”