Portrait of a Servant Leader
Troy Childress
Hometown:
Charleston, SC
Major:
Communications with emphasis in Sports Broadcasting
Youth ministers have a profound effect in changing teenager's lives. While teens are going through emotional ups and downs and the dramas of high school, youth ministers are constantly the unwavering face of shining hope and security.
Troy Childress is one such youth minister who is determined to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and be the solid rock for his youth group.
Troy desired to be a youth minister while he was completing his studies as a student at Milligan College . He worked with various youth ministry internships during college years, yet as a senior he accepted a weekend ministry position in South Carolina , although it was not what God had planned for Troy.
“I pushed and forced it. It was not God's will and I ended up pulling out of youth ministry altogether.”
Troy then changed his major to Communication and Sports Broadcasting and finished with a minor in Bible.
Troy graduated from Milligan College in 2006 and entered the business world with high hopes and expectations, similar to many eager college graduates. He captured a management trainee position with Hagemeyer North America and worked in Dallas and Charleston for the following two years.
However, similar to Jonah, Troy could not run from God's calling. He was successfully working in the business industry yet God intervened in his life.
“I wanted a job where I could wake up and be excited to go to work. That did not happen for me in the business world. Yet God smacked me in the back of the head and gave me a wake up call. I realized my true calling was in youth ministry.”
Troy swallowed his nerves, quit his job at Hagemeyer, took a $15,000 pay cut and prayerfully accepted a youth ministry position at Plymouth Avenue Christian Church in Deland , Florida in October of 2007. God provided for Troy financially through the whole process.
“I never used to believe when people said God would provide. Now I've learned to trust God more than ever before. His Word is Truth and He is there.”
Plymouth Avenue had been without a youth minister for two years, therefore they accepted Troy with open arms as he implemented a new youth program. Troy organized Wednesday night youth services, and has started a summer Sunday night, “Poolside Chat with Troy .” The Poolside Chat consists of a fifteen minute devotion, which is geared towards a sampling of the Sunday night program Troy plans to implement in the fall.
 Troy's first summer with the youth at Plymouth Avenue Christian Church was extremely busy as he took them on various trips such as Christ in Youth at Milligan College, church camps, and on a Jamaica missions trip.
Troy now wakes up eager to go to work each day because of emotional and moving stories such as of sixteen year old Joseph.
“Joseph was on the path to destruction yet was searching for something different.”
A friend invited Joseph to church and he attended Plymouth Avenue and spent time with Troy for two months before accepting Christ into his life and being baptized.
“He totally changed his ways and is committed to turning his life around. He and his mother both thanked me for God entering his life through me.”
Troy's goal for the upcoming year is to teach a beginner class to learn who Jesus truly is through the gospel of John and to work on unity as a youth group.
Troy preached for the first time in a worship service in June as part of a youth Sunday. The youth followed the message with a skit and received a standing ovation from the congregation.
 “The teen's facial expressions were priceless. It was a moment of amazement that built confidence, developed unity, and brought our group together through Jesus.”
Ironically, a month after Troy accepted the position at Plymouth, the youth ministry position at his home church in Charleston opened up and was offered to Troy, yet he declined. He knows all the trials and paths God led him on were purposefully directing him to Plymouth Avenue Christian Church in Deland, Florida as a youth minister to spread the name of Jesus Christ.
“I'm right where I need to be. I have a complete sense of peace.”
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