History of Kerygma Texas/ Kerygma USA
When Alan and Lori became Catholic in 2007-2008 in Texas, we asked God what he had in mind for us next. Having been in and around Youth With A Mission since before we got married, we spoke with some old YWAM leaders about our new Catholic adventure.
We learned there had been a Catholic expression in YWAM for many years, mostly in Europe, called Kerygma. Kerygma is Greek for “Proclamation of the Gospel.”
Flash forward to January 2009. We trained for five weeks at a gathering in India to get up to speed on how Kerygma had tried to blend within YWAM to include Catholics in the ministry.
We went home to Texas and started integrating YWAM activities into the Catholic world in East Texas. Our Vision, we thought, was to do the YWAM ministry in a way that Catholics could be included and receive the same depth of Discipleship that we had as Protestants in the Jesus Movement. We received our 501(c)3 non-profit corporation certification in 2014 as Kerygma Texas.
We never really plugged into young adults in Texas, instead being handed the High School and Middle School students to influence, as well as being involved with the Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese with adults. But where were the young adults and college students like we had been when we met?
God moved us to Chico California in 2017 with the impression that we would be part of a YWAM base. We’d be in another diocese that would welcome us to come alongside as the para-church organization that YWAM is and help ignite young adults in Northern California.
Unity and ecumenism are a scary thing to most people we’ve found: too many opinions and closed minds. In 2018 we moved into the City of Chico proper home of Chico State University.
In 2026, nearly ten years after to moving to Chico we are simply proclaiming the Gospel to College students, other young adults and grown-up adults. We have the most fruitful ministry yet and a right in the situation where our hearts wanted to be all along from the start: Working with Catholics and non-Catholics alike, leading people to the Good News of God’s Word and leading them to Jesus.
