CHATHAM YOUTH FOR CHRIST 1946-1949
Leighton Ford, Dan, Billy Graham
It did not take Leighton long, after being elected president of our Chatham Youth For Christ, to get into high gear. The first Youth For Christ meeting in Chatham was held in October, a few days before Leighton's 15th birthday. I remember an early meeting was held in Kemsley Auditorium, above Kemsley's Flower Shop on King Street West. I recently heard from Wayne Johnson, a friend of those years, who shared with me that the first Chatham YFC rally that he attended was in that auditorium and it was there that he prayed to receive Christ as his Saviour. To the best of my knowledge all the rest of the monthly meetings were held in the Chatham Vocational School Auditorium. The rent for the monthly evening meetings at CVS was $15.00 per evening. If the offerings did not meet the expenses re speaker, musicians, advertising and auditorium rental, Leighton's Dad was gracious enough to pay the difference. The auditorium seated around 800 so we had ample room and many meetings saw people sitting up in the balcony.
In our Chatham Youth For Christ, we had the privilege of having some great speakers and musicians. We had Ed Darling, director of Detroit's Voice of Christian Youth, the Wheaton College Band; Nyack Chorale; Bob Pierce, who had only recently left China before it fell into Communist hands and who later founded World Vision and Samaritan's Purse; Cliff Barrows; Barry Moore who lived in London, Ontario and was London's Youth For Christ director; The Ohman Brothers' Trumpet Trio from Cleveland, Ohio. Chuck Ohman is still actively involved as announcer with Jack Van Impe Presents, a weekly half hour television ministry; Charles and Connie Templeton who directed Toronto's Youth For Christ also spoke in Chatham. He later turned his back on the Lord and claimed to be an agnostic. Jack Van Impe, still a teenager, came one night and played his accordion.
Those years were exciting ones. I remember sitting in Leighton's living room after school some days and he was sharing his ideas and potential speakers for upcoming rallies. Once a month I would go down King Street West, asking the various store owners/managers if they would kindly place one of our posters in their store window. Many businesses were very co-operative and did so each month. Several teenagers served as ushers and usherettes. I was a regular usher.
When 1949 arrived, we were privileged to have a speaker who was becoming known in our part of the country. He worked with Youth For Christ International out of the Chicago area. That speaker was Billy Graham. Billy came to Chatham and spoke at the CYFC rally on January 27th, 1949. It turned out to be a bitter freezing stormy night, keeping many people home. We were so excited to have him come and were looking forward to a good response to the invitation to receive Christ. One eleven year old girl walked forward. The young girl was my sister Barbara. I should add here that it was that fall, September 1949, that Billy Graham hit the newspapers and became well known. His crusade in Los Angeles was publicized and from then on his name became a household word.
The night that Mr. Graham was in Chatham, I bought his book, Calling Youth To Christ. I believe it was his first book. I decided to ask him to autograph it. A photographer, who was asked to come that night and take pictures, saw me go to Mr. Graham for his autograph. He motioned for Leighton to get in the picture. See photo above and the two below. In the years that followed, that picture has been printed in Leighton's biography, A Life Surprised. It has appeared in some periodicals and one night, my Mom and Dad phoned to say that they saw me on television. Leighton was being interviewed on Jim Bakker's program, PTL Club and they showed that picture.
I believe that those YFC rallies, played a big role in helping me as a teen keep focused on God. I do not say it to boast, but to give thanks to God that in those years when many youth struggle, often opting out of church attendance and going astray spiritually, my friends, activities and interests all contributed to my ongoing spiritual journey.
In our Chatham Youth For Christ, we had the privilege of having some great speakers and musicians. We had Ed Darling, director of Detroit's Voice of Christian Youth, the Wheaton College Band; Nyack Chorale; Bob Pierce, who had only recently left China before it fell into Communist hands and who later founded World Vision and Samaritan's Purse; Cliff Barrows; Barry Moore who lived in London, Ontario and was London's Youth For Christ director; The Ohman Brothers' Trumpet Trio from Cleveland, Ohio. Chuck Ohman is still actively involved as announcer with Jack Van Impe Presents, a weekly half hour television ministry; Charles and Connie Templeton who directed Toronto's Youth For Christ also spoke in Chatham. He later turned his back on the Lord and claimed to be an agnostic. Jack Van Impe, still a teenager, came one night and played his accordion.
Those years were exciting ones. I remember sitting in Leighton's living room after school some days and he was sharing his ideas and potential speakers for upcoming rallies. Once a month I would go down King Street West, asking the various store owners/managers if they would kindly place one of our posters in their store window. Many businesses were very co-operative and did so each month. Several teenagers served as ushers and usherettes. I was a regular usher.
When 1949 arrived, we were privileged to have a speaker who was becoming known in our part of the country. He worked with Youth For Christ International out of the Chicago area. That speaker was Billy Graham. Billy came to Chatham and spoke at the CYFC rally on January 27th, 1949. It turned out to be a bitter freezing stormy night, keeping many people home. We were so excited to have him come and were looking forward to a good response to the invitation to receive Christ. One eleven year old girl walked forward. The young girl was my sister Barbara. I should add here that it was that fall, September 1949, that Billy Graham hit the newspapers and became well known. His crusade in Los Angeles was publicized and from then on his name became a household word.
The night that Mr. Graham was in Chatham, I bought his book, Calling Youth To Christ. I believe it was his first book. I decided to ask him to autograph it. A photographer, who was asked to come that night and take pictures, saw me go to Mr. Graham for his autograph. He motioned for Leighton to get in the picture. See photo above and the two below. In the years that followed, that picture has been printed in Leighton's biography, A Life Surprised. It has appeared in some periodicals and one night, my Mom and Dad phoned to say that they saw me on television. Leighton was being interviewed on Jim Bakker's program, PTL Club and they showed that picture.
I believe that those YFC rallies, played a big role in helping me as a teen keep focused on God. I do not say it to boast, but to give thanks to God that in those years when many youth struggle, often opting out of church attendance and going astray spiritually, my friends, activities and interests all contributed to my ongoing spiritual journey.
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