Brother Dave was very kind to me when I served as the National Director for Teen Challenge, USA from 1987 to 1991. When I first was selected to serve in that position, I reached out to Brother Dave for prayer and counsel. I will never forget a special phone conversation where he prayed for me and assured me that as long as I sought the Lord, He would give me the wisdom I needed to serve the Teen Challenge Centers across the nation.

He also reminded me, in another conversation, that the ministry of Teen Challenge should never be about bricks and mortar but about lost souls and the power of the Holy Spirit to redeem them.

I will forever hold dear the special times that Ladelle and I had visiting with Brother Dave and his family prior to going onto the platform during the 50th Anniversary Celebration, when I served as Program Chairman.

Then, of course, who could ever forget the opening night of the 50th Anniversary Celebration at Time Square Church in 2008, as we watched Brother Wilkerson standing with Nicky Cruz, Sonny Arguinzoni, and Israel Narvaez all reunited for the glory of God. This highlighted the profound leading of the Holy Spirit that God had on Brother Wilkerson from the very beginning in the founding of Teen Challenge.

Finally, I will always remember when I first met Brother Dave. He had come to Tucson, Arizona to hold a three-night youth crusade at the local Community Center in 1972. We were just beginning to open the Tucson Center’s new facility and Brother Wilkerson was very excited for us. On the second night of the crusade, totally unexpected by us, he announced that the evening’s crusade offering would go entirely to the Tucson Teen Challenge ministry.

As I approached Brother Wilkerson after the crusade to thank him for his generous gesture, he looked me straight in the eye and said, “Go Win the Lost!” And that we are doing.

Snow Peabody is former President of Teen Challenge, USA, and state director.