The Young Men’s Christian Association was birthed in the factories of nineteenth-century London. It then spread around the globe to become one of history’s most successful parachurch movements. Today, there are over 14,000 locations, but “the Y” is probably better known in America for its physical fitness facilities and a campy song than for its Christian distinctiveness. Nevertheless, a rich history lies behind that often neglected “C,” and efforts are underway to again make it central to the organization’s mission. Whether that revival movement is prepared to take on the Y’s embrace of the LGBTQ agenda remains to be seen.
