By Dave Batty, vice-president of Global Teen Challenge

Frank Reynolds is one of the pioneers of Teen Challenge. His life and ministry shaped the ministry. Much of what we know of as the “Teen Challenge ministry model” is the result of his pioneering work. Under his leadership the “discipleship component” of Teen Challenge became the foundation for producing tens of thousands of disciples over the past 50 years. In every capacity that Frank worked in Teen Challenge, he was pioneering, creating ministry structure and policies where none existed before.

So what is it like to be a pioneer? Frank was a pioneer in God’s work before he encountered Dave Wilkerson in New York City in 1958. In the 13 years before this, he and his wife Gladys, had pioneered new churches in New York and New Jersey. But the story of God’s work in Frank’s life begins before that.

Attending Cornell University, Frank was a self-proclaimed agnostic. Challenged to consider the claims of Christ, he set out to prove that God was a hoax. He was doing his research in the Cornell library when the thought came into his head, “But if you get saved, you will have to be a preacher . . . and who wants to be a preacher?!” (p. 43)* Talk about vision for the future! While still a non-Christian he was already entertaining the thought of being called into full-time ministry.

Six months after he accepted Christ, he and Gladys were married and, within a few months, they were pioneering a church in Canandiagua, NY. “We knew nothing about starting a church, except that churches were made up of people and people need Christ. . . We simply believed God would do it, and He did.” (p. 47) Their fearless confidence that God would direct their steps put them on a path to success.

The lessons learned in pioneering churches in Canandiagua, NY, and Medford, NJ, were part of God’s preparation for how God would later use Frank in pioneering Teen Challenge. As a pioneer pastor, Frank was passionate about evangelism and discipleship. He learned to raise up leaders from within the church. He was proactive in meeting practical needs in the lives of people to whom he ministered. “We had not been taught servanthood, but felt we had to meet [their] physical needs to reach [them] spiritually.” (p. 47)

Frank and Gladys moved to New York City to pastor El Bethel church just a few weeks before Dave Wilkerson came in 1958. Frank was introduced to Dave by the New York Daily News front page picture and story of his being ejected from the Michael Farmer trial. They soon met personally and Frank discovered that Dave shared his passion for evangelism. When a group of pastors met some months later to hear Dave’s vision, Frank was one of the first to financially support Dave. Frank also served on the first Board of Directors of Teen Challenge in New York City.

The early success of the evangelism efforts revealed a new problem for Teen Challenge workers. Churches were not equipped or willing to take these recently converted gang members and drug addicts into their youth groups. It was evident that Teen Challenge needed to establish a program for these new Christians, outside the city, where they could be taught how to live this new Christian life.

The search committee was looking for a leader—“someone with farm experience, someone who had faith to start with nothing and someone who had a vision of how it could be done. We also needed someone who could build the building that would house the boys and who was a Minister of the Gospel with a call to preach and teach.” (p. 64)

Have you ever wondered what Teen Challenge would look like today had the original vision been different? Instead of looking for a pastor, what if Dave Wilkerson had said, “To direct this new program, let’s see if we can find a Christian medical doctor or a Christian psychologist who has worked with drug addicts.” Today we still see the effects of this early decision to recruit a pastor to pioneer this ministry. Their vision was that Teen Challenge be a Bible training school to teach these new believers how to live for Jesus—a Great Commission ministry, not a Christian drug-rehab program.

When the Holy Spirit began speaking to Frank that he could be the director of this program, he rejected the idea. Part of his struggle was that he felt that taking this position would be a step away from the frontlines of evangelism. When Frank told the search committee that he was willing to take this new leadership position, they were elated!

Moving to Rehrersburg, PA, and establishing the first long term residential program for Teen Challenge was a pioneer experience with no road map. Frank described this in his book, “I would have to walk with determination day by day, in new areas, develop new policies and apply new methods of reaching the heart and character of these men with Jesus Christ, leaving behind many of the tried and true methods I had learned thus far. God had a future planned of continually stretching my boundaries!” (p.71)

Frank described this new adventure as an expression of 2 Timothy 2:2, “the things you have learned, entrust to faithful men who will also be able to teach others.” This Bible training school for new Christians became the model that was adopted by Teen Challenge centers popping up all over the nation, and soon around the world.

Ten years later, God called Frank to a new pioneering opportunity, serving as the first national leader of Teen Challenge. Trying to forge a national fellowship out of the 50+ independent Teen Challenge centers already in existence was a huge challenge. Frank worked tirelessly to build a national ministry where best practices would be implemented by centers across the nation. He became a mentor, a trainer, a pastor, a counselor, a problem-solver, doing whatever was needed to bring harmony and cooperation among Teen Challenge leaders across the nation.

Frank’s first love was to minister to the students. But he was just as comfortable talking to First Lady Nancy Reagan, wife of the President, when she visited Teen Challenge in Chattanooga. He was a man of integrity, diligence and perseverance. He demonstrated humility much like Jesus did. Some talk about servant leadership—Frank lived it consistently and effectively.

In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins describes Level 5 leaders as highly effective leaders who take businesses on to greatness. Frank Reynolds provided a powerful example of a Level 5 leader. His vision and godly character provided a path for solid growth for Teen Challenge through a very tumultuous time of early growth. Some leaders appear impressive from a distance, but when you get up close and see this person on a daily basis, you see glaring inconsistencies. Those who knew Frank up close and personal saw genuineness at his core.

He loved God, he loved people, and he loved Teen Challenge.

*All quotes are from Is There a God? by Frank Reynolds