COVER LETTER
Dearly Beloved:
GREETINGS IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD.
Forty-seven years ago (1958), the Lord led me to start a home for teenage drug addicts and alcoholics. We bought an old dilapidated mansion in Brooklyn, fixed it up and started ministering to homeless addicts. Also, I preached to gangs on the streets of Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx — and miracles began to happen.
Notorious gang leaders laid down their weapons and became powerful men of God. They began to preach with me on the streets, and many gang members and addicts turned to Christ. Nicky Cruz, the Mau Mau gang leader, became an internationally-known evangelist. Through his preaching, drug lords in South America got genuinely saved, and they too became evangelists.
Another gang member, Sonny Arguinzoni, gave his life to Christ and went to Bible college. He went on to start churches in Los Angeles and around the world. Sonny is now bishop over numerous churches and drug rehabilitation programs worldwide. This coming August I will be speaking at his national convention in Los Angeles, with an expected 15,000 attending — all trophies of God's saving power through the shed blood of Christ.
The Teen Challenge ministry was born out of those humble early days of ministry. It now includes over 500 drug and alcohol rehab centers around the world, even in Muslim countries. These include homes for girls and women addicts and alcoholics, all which are reaching many.
The Teen Challenge Training Center on Pennsylvania farmland houses over 200 men in rehab. Other farms and centers have been birthed out of this ministry all over the world. I am not officially involved now in the direction of the Teen Challenge ministry, but I rejoice that God permits me to be the father of these ministries.
We have said very little over the years about our various ministries to the poor, the addicted, the homeless. And to orphans, widows and the fatherless. We have never wanted to appear to be boasting. And we have said very little about money, never begging or pressuring for finances. Every Teen Challenge ministry is responsible for raising its own finances, but we assist these works with finances, prayer and counseling, especially overseas in areas such as Siberia, Africa, South America.
A final word: I am not knowledgeable about the internet. I do not have a computer. I guess that at 74 years of age, I don't have the patience to learn. But many who receive my printed messages are on the internet and are computer savvy. For those, we suggest you correspond with us via internet. At our website, you can get all information about our charitable outreaches, order our ministry books, tapes and CDs, and download our messages, including select messages by our other Times Square Church pastors. Also, you can support this ministry in various ways. Go to www.worldchallenge.org.
Thanks to all who take time to support us in these ministries to so many needy people.
God bless and keep you.
His bondservant,
DAVID WILKERSON
DW:bbm 12.31.69
