MYC OBJECTIVES
​
To inspire youth to fear God and to serve Him always. (Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 9:10; Matthew 6:33)
​
To help guide youth in the direction of righteousness by providing them with mature Christian leadership. (Hebrews 13:7)
​
To share in fellowship with other young Christians of like precious faith and to teach them the importance of desiring the company of other Christian young people. (Romans 12:10; John 1:7)
​
To instill in youth a desire to have Christian principles and meaningful values. (I Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:6-7)
​
To help equip youth today for a greater service tomorrow. (I Corinthians 15:58; II Timothy 3:15)
​
To educate youth on how to keep their lives cleansed from unrighteousness. (Psalms 119:9)
​
To help youth understand the difference between “wisdom” and “knowledge” as it is viewed by the Scripture. (James 3:13-18)
​
To teach young members the importance of adding to their faith. (2 Peter 1:5-8)
​
​
​
HISTORY OF THE MIDWEST YOUTH CONFERENCE​
The Midwest Youth Conference originally began as the “Tri-State Youth Conference” in the year 1979.
​
It was on the campus of Southwestern Christian College in the Fall of 1979 that the Conference concept was given birth by Brother W.C. Edwards who then served as Ministering Evangelist of the Westside Church of Christ in Rockford, Illinois. Brother Edwards along with Brothers Warren G. Blakney and David C. Penn conferred together on how to formulate a regional three state Conference that would benefit the young people of the Midwestern region of our brotherhood including Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
​
The National Youth Conference had become quite expensive to attend and many youth who desired to fellowship with other Christian young people could not do so because of the ever-increasing cost factors involved. In the words of Brother Penn, “It was our sole objective not to compete with the National Youth Conference but to offer a qualitative and comprehensive regional Conference within financial reason.”
​
The first regional and planning session for the Tri-State Youth Conference took place in Bloomington, Illinois, where Brother Edwards was elected by those in attendance to serve as Chairman with Brothers Blakney and Penn serving as Co-Chairpersons with administrative skills.
​
After much prayer and planning had taken place by these three ministers of the gospel, a Steering Committee was formed and the first ever Tri-State Youth Conference took place in the Month of June 1980 in Rockford, Illinois. As the Tri-State Youth Conference began to grow, the enthusiasm level reached far and beyond original expectations. The Conference experienced such continuous response that it was the decision of the committee to reach farther than just three immediate states of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. In 1984 the TriState Youth Conference became known as the “Midwest Youth Conference” including Kentucky and Missouri.
​
Brother Blakney relocated to Portland, Oregon, and Brother Edwards relocated to St. Louis, Missouri. The Steering Committee elected Brother Penn to serve as Chairman of the Midwest Youth Conference and Brother Atwater, Ministering Evangelist of the Tenth Street Church of Christ in North Chicago, Illinois, to serve as Co-Chairman in the Winter of 1989.
​
Bro. Atwater, Ministering Evangelist of the North Shore Church of Christ in Waukegan, Illinois served as Chairman from 1999 to 2016. Under his leadership the Conference experienced explosive growth and was extended from three days to four days. Brother Leonardo D. Gilbert, Minister of the Sheldon Heights Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois served as Chairman of the Midwest Youth Conference from 2016-2022.
Bro. Will Smith, Sheldon Heights Church of Christ currently serves as the conference Chairman and Bro. Justin Carter, Assistant Minister of Sheldon Heights serves as the Vice-Chairman.