US Mission Network
Terra Lynn Dearth accepted the FIRST EVER USMN Christian Leadership Award at a conference in Nashville Tennessee recently.For 40 plus years one of the best opportunities for YMCAs to train staff was funded by the Walker Foundation of Long Beach California. Certainly not the only conferences, but for many years these were probably the only conferences conducted throughout the country at multiple sites for the single purpose of training Y staff in Christian leadership. Staff teams from a region would attend a weekend conference. Sometimes Ys from as many as six or seven states would attend a single conference. The Walker Foundation announced late in 2016 that funding for approximately 13 conferences held around the country would not continue beyond 2016. Here is what was happening around the country beginning in 1973. There have been over 50 different CLC sites, over 50 thousand participants and over 20 million lives impacted through the national effort to facilitate the YMCA CLC’s and Rag/Leather Programs. Remember that during this time period YMCA’s across the country were exploding with afterschool care and summer day camps. In fact, in the 1980’s one of the most popular YMCA programs offered at more Ys than any other program was summer day camp! So, it’s really not so hard to understand how many lives were touched by these conferences. And certainly, it is commendable that Kenneth G. Walker, father of R. Howard Walker supported the Walker Foundation in this movement for 42 years.
One of the reasons the conferences expanded and were held to common standards was Terra Lynn. She served in a full-time capacity for 37 years directing and leading the conferences. She developed standards for the conferences, trained the conference directors and eventually developed a team consisting of Walker Foundation Representatives as well as an advisory team that assisted in all facets of the program. She advanced the Rag and Leather Program, which by the way has been around for over 100 years!
She traveled across the country to camps to personally see that conferences were meeting the expectations of the Walker Foundation and to continue to mentor and assist the conference planning teams. She put her heart and soul into seeing that the conferences would have a wide impact in the associations each served. Her leadership influenced many conference planning team members throughout the country. As new conference directors emerged, Terra Lynn was there to mentor them and guide them. I know personally that I had opportunities to develop my leadership skills through this program and her leadership.
In December 2016, Dearth also encouraged YMCAs to continue conducting training specifically for the same purpose. She said in a letter to all of the conference directors and key supporters “It is time for the next season to begin and the work of putting the C in the YMCA in our YMCAs to continue. The foundation has been laid and there are many tools available to you.”
In fact, six of the CLCs developed enough funding to sustain themselves in 2017 and beyond, three other conferences have been developed specifically to train staff in Christian leadership this year and more are in development for next year.
I am reminded of something Pastor Rick Warren said, “When you spend your life pointing people to God, miracles happen.” Ladies and gentlemen, Terra Lynn has done just that, and I know that miracles have happened during her watch. Congratulations Terra Lynn.
"His faithful love endures forever."
Until next time...
Chaplain Gray
