In 1841, George Williams moved to London to work as a salesmen in a draper’s shop. He was just 20 years old and was shocked by the immoral lifestyles he saw lived out each day. (Wow, I wonder what he'd think of modern day America?)
He and a group of like-minded Christians organized the first Young Men’s Christian Association to substitute Bible study and prayer for life on the streets. The idea caught on quickly and just 10 years later, there were 24 YMCAs in Great Britain, with a combined membership of 2,700.
In 1854, the first international convention was held in Paris. At the time there were 397 separate Y’s in seven nations, with 30,369 members total.
In 1894, George Williams was knighted by Queen Victoria for his YMCA work. He passed away and was buried in 1905 under the floor of St. Paul's Cathedral, among that nation’s heroes and statesmen.
Today, the YMCA and its counterpart for women, the YWCA, continue as global movements, touching the lives of millions.
