Teen Challenge is the oldest, largest and most successful program of its kind in the world, and was founded over 50 years ago by Reverend David Wilkerson. It was Feb. 28, 1958 when the 26-year-old Pentecostal preacher from rural Pennsylvania disrupted a highly publicized murder trial in New York City. Wilkerson had made the eight-hour drive from his quiet mountain town to downtown Manhattan for a simple reason; to speak to the seven accused gang members about their salvation. In a grave attempt to share the love of God, Wilkerson rushed to the front of the courtroom at the close of trial proceedings and pleaded publicly with the judge for permission to meet the teenage defendants. News media were everywhere, and Wilkerson unwittingly made himself the source of headline news throughout New York City.

The judge had been receiving death threats during the trial, and Wilkerson was almost arrested as a presumed assailant. The judge later refused Wilkerson's request to see the boys and ordered him never to return to his courtroom. Wilkerson made more than the news back in 1958; five months after his discouraging day in court, his compassion for teen-age gangs and drug addicts began to make history. Since Wilkerson opened the first center in New York in 1960, Teen Challenge has grown to over 195 centers across the nation and over 550 centers worldwide. In Puerto Rico and parts of Africa the organization is building AIDS care facilities. Wilkerson also founded a global evangelistic ministry, World Challenge. Yet the Pentecostal preacher remains today what he was over 50 years ago; a man dedicated to preaching the gospel in the heart of New York City. He pastors Times Square Church in Manhattan, which he founded in 1987. The story of his interaction with street gangs and addicts in the city is documented in the best selling book, 'The Cross and the Switchblade'. His experiences led to the development of Teen Challenge's residential programme, designed to help, support, and rehab people live drug free lives, and put something back into there community.

Residential centres that offered structured help for young people with addictions were soon opened and the organisation began to spread across the USA.

Teen Challenge in Europe

In 1968 it established its first European centre in The Hague, Holland. Worldwide there are more than 23,000 residents in its residential programmes and more information on the international work of Teen Challenge can be found on globaltc.org

Teen Challenge in the UK

In the late 1970's Teen Challenge UK was started with a couple of outreach centres. Real growth in the ministry took place in the 1980's and 1990's and today the work is established in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Today there are over 450 centers around the globe, including Teen Challenge UK, making Teen Challenge one of the largest drug and alcohol treatment program of its kind, with a documented success rate of 70% among its graduates.