San Francisco, California is known for its history of violent and deadly earthquakes. In 1989, prior the start of game 3 of the World Series between the Giants and the neighboring Oakland Athletics, the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake struck the city causing $6 billion in property damage, 3,800 injuries, and 63 deaths. The quake devastated San Francisco and many communities in the surrounding region. Most of the damage occurred in buildings over 50 years old that were not constructed to withstand the shockwaves.
Due to the high risk of another devastating quake, the city mandated that all wooden structured buildings with three or more levels undergo a seismic retrofit. This included Teen Challenge. By 2020, the center would need to complete this expensive and complex project at its historic property. Tom Petersen, Chairman of the Board is also a local commercial property owner. “As a property owner right down the street, I had to do my own retrofit. The work cost $180,000 out of pocket and I wasn’t given a choice if I wanted to keep the property.” Petersen is a retired city worker and understands why the city’s mandate is important, but noted that not everyone affected by it was able to afford to do the work. When I asked him what would have happened if Teen Challenge was unable to complete the work, he quickly replied, “the city would have shut them down.”
San Francisco Teen Challenge is one of the first programs in our organization and was opened in 1964, just a few short years after David Wilkerson hit the streets of New York City. The ministry operates in the Mission District on Valencia Avenue and although they’ve faced challenges, the energy and spirit of worship continue to flow out from their building into the nearby streets. On any Tuesday night, passerby’s stop in as the sound of worship fills the building, and ultimately spills out through the open doors on to Valencia Street.
The story doesn’t begin with an expensive, mandatory retrofit project estimated to cost approximately $250,000. In fact, that piece of the story is only the springboard to what God was about to do. At precisely the right moment in San Francisco Teen Challenge’s history, God called Pastor Kenny Rogers, also a skilled contractor, to the position of Interim Director. Pastor Kenny had the specific skills needed to not only begin working on a project this size, but as director of the program, he had an opportunity to invest in the students by providing valuable experience in a trade that many students never expected to learn. Over the course of 12-18 months Teen Challenge students, staff, interns, and volunteers pulled together and diligently worked to complete a seismic retrofit of a historic building that many claim is the place where their new life in Christ was given new purpose.
Alumni like Santiago graduated in 2016 and still returns to the center for Tuesday evening chapel. Santiago now works for a company tasked by General Motors to work on self-driving cars. San Francisco is a tech incubator and graduates like Santiago, now serving his company as a Senior Engineering Technician, are able to contribute to the future because God provided a place where he could first conquer his past.
Another graduate, Stephen continues to serve as the Program Director. He has been free in Christ and contributing to San Francisco Teen Challenge during this crucial time for the last 3 years. Stephen stated, “I am so thankful for Pastor Kenny and for all that he has done. He works enormous hours doing construction at the center with the students, pastors his church, and still maintains the program. God is good!”
After installing massive steel beams, reinforcing walls and staircases, and installing many steel brackets along the buildings foundation to keep the structure from sliding off during a future earthquake, San Francisco Teen Challenge completed the retrofit as of October 2019. The part of the project that many have been looking forward to–cosmetic updates (it’s time to paint and install brand new flooring) will soon begin. Through generous donors giving their time and resources, along with local suppliers offering generous discounts on heavy construction equipment and supplies, the center completed its most expensive construction project without taking a single loan. The center is safe, full of students, and debt-free. This is a miracle that only our God can do.
The Adult & Teen Challenge National Office is proud of the students, staff, and leadership of San Francisco Teen Challenge for facing this challenge head on and for making the most of an opportunity to let the students contribute to building the kingdom. They have had the privilege of investing in the place that many will remember being the “crossroads” where hope was found. The future of San Francisco is exciting and bright and they have so much to be proud of.
Thank you to Pastor Kenny Rogers, SFTC CEO, Tom Petersen, Chairman of the Board, Dr. Randy Rowe NorCal/NV Teen Challenge CEO and District Advisor, and all of the staff for inviting ATCUSA in to see the great work you are doing.
