The YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) is one of the oldest and largest Movements for youth in the world. YMCA now operates in 119 countries, and reaching 58 million people. The YMCA works to bring social justice and peace to young people and their communities, regardless of religion, race, gender or culture.
The YMCA Movement originally began in post-industrial England of 19th century in London in the drapery establishment of M/s. Hitchcock and Rodgers, in which a young apprentice of 21, George Williams, took the initiative in organizing Bible classes in his bedroom in the nature of mutual edification of the society which brought in a cohesive group of 12 of his co-workers from equal number of denominations of the Christian Church to form the Young Men’s Christian Association on June 6, 1844. The first World Conference was held in Paris in 1855 and adopted the ‘PARIS BASIS’, which even today is the foundation of the Movement.
The Young Men’s Christian Association seeks to unite those young men who, regarding Jesus Christ as their God and Saviour according to the Holy Scriptures, desire to be his disciples in their faith and in their life and to associate their efforts for the extension of His Kingdom amongst young men.