History of the YOUTH Event

The United Methodist Youth Gathering is rooted in Methodist history. In 1968 The United Methodist Church was formed by a merger
of the Evangelical United Brethren and The Methodist Church. Both of those former denominations had long histories of denominational youth gatherings. 20 years after that merger, The United Methodist Church held its first denominational youth gathering. Since it’s modern inception, the YOUTH event has moved around the United States, welcoming youth from around the US and the world.

YOUTH ‘88 was
at Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL. It was followed by YOUTH ‘91 at the University of Missouri-Columbia. YOUTH ‘95 moved out west taking place at Salt Lake City. YOUTH ‘99 and ‘03 were held at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. YOUTH 2007 was held in Greensboro, NC. YOUTH 2011 marked the first time the event was held at two 
sites, ten days apart: Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN and the Sacramento Convention Center in Sacramento, CA. YOUTH 2015 took place in one location, the Marriott World Center in Orlando, FL.

In 2019, the YOUTH event will take place at the Kansas City Convention Center and Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, MO.

Throughout the years
 countless numbers of people have pointed to the YOUTH Event as playing a pivotal role in discovering or accepting their call to ministry. Some who attended the early events have youth have now been a part of the United Methodist Church long enough to return to the event as adults, bringing an upcoming generation of world-transforming disciples with them.

The event has developed a reputation for high quality worship, leadership development opportunities, and creating connections between youth and leaders of the United Methodist Church. In 2015, 48 of the 50 United States attended the event, plus several attendees from outside the US. The YOUTH event is truly for all youth connected with the United Methodist Church, and the YOUTH 2019 Design Team is dedicated to creating a welcoming and inspirational space.

The YOUTH event is a ministry of Young People’s Ministries, a unit of Discipleship Ministries, which is based in Nashville, TN.

-Chris Wilterdink, Young people’s Ministries director of program development, US