The early history of Young Life in rural places is the story of  volunteers who made it happen. In early efforts to follow the "normal" process, Jim Rayburn sent staff where staff was requested: Leland, Miss., and Tonkawa, Okla. But, like today, the staff faced the challenge of gaining the trust of the community and raising the necessary funds to support the ministry. Yet these first small town staffers have contributed to Young Life in many ways — shown by the rallying community support and alumni gifts received from kids once part of these first small town clubs.

 

In the '40s, there was a man on the National Board named Ernest Wetmore who lived in Tonkawa, a town of fewer than 5,000. Wetmore asked Rayburn to send a staff person to Tonkawa, and it became the first small town to have Young Life. Wetmore’s claim to fame was his invention known as “The Little Glutton.” This machine which ran feed up to the silo stimulated agricultural growth across the country. 

 

In 1950, when a cook at Frontier Ranch came home to Leland and told people the exciting story of Young Life, the people of Leland put in a request for Young Life to come to their community. The sign at the town limits read, “Leland, Mississippi, home of 5,000 nice people and a few old soreheads.” They began as a volunteer area, and in their first year Leland sent two carloads of teens to Star Ranch, Young Life's first camp. The second year, they sent a busload. The third year they sent three busloads, and in the fall they called Rayburn and issued an ultimatum, “Either send us a staff person, or we won’t send any more kids to camp!” John Miller was the answer.

 

Miller was forced to leave Leland two years later when the townspeople learned that there were blacks at Frontier Ranch when their kids were there. They asked for a guarantee that their youth would not have to be at a camp that was integrated. Since that was not possible, Miller was moved to Fresno. However, in 2000 an alumni of Miller’s ministry in Leland sent African Americans to Windy Gap with a scholarship donation of $1,000. This family also built Aspen, the adult guest lodge at Frontier Ranch.
 
Miller took his heart for small town teens to Fresno in 1955, and started clubs in the surrounding communities of Madera, Selma, Kingsburg and Chochilla. He continued to try to bring on full-time staff, but the community protested when he suggested that they pay the staff to do ministry.

 

Insiders Take the Lead
Meanwhile, in Wapato, Wash., God was using Dr. Harry Gregg. In 1947, Gregg was the camp doctor at Star Ranch. He asked Rayburn to come and do some assemblies in his town, and the students were so excited that they organized their own Young Life club led by the good doctor. The following year, Ralph Hettrick, who had gone to Dallas Theological Seminary with Rayburn, moved to Yakima, Wash., to be the pastor of Ahtanum Pioneer Church. He had a second Young Life ministry near Wapato at the Stover House. This established Young Life’s presence in the Yakima Valley, and ministry continues there today in 15 different schools.

 

History supports what we strongly believe: Small town ministry is best led by insiders, professional people who have a long-term stake in the town. As we continue to expand into rural places, God will prepare men and women in these smaller towns to have a heart to reach their teenagers using the unique ministry of Young Life.