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How the LTC Southwest Region Got Started

Many years ago in Dallas, Texas there was a couple that loved God and loved young people very much. As a result, they became heavily involved in the North Texas (Dallas) Leadership Training for Christ program. However, the time came when this wonderful couple ended up moving to Phoenix Arizona. God had plans for this couple….. Ernie and Vivia Simmons!

The chairman of the North Texas LTC in Dallas contacted Ernie in 1992 and asked if he would start a Leadership Training for Christ program in Phoenix. He agreed to do so. He met with board members from Dallas and started soliciting help from other church members who had been actively involved or had visited the LTC in Dallas and were now living in the area of Phoenix and California. Under the umbrella of Dallas LTC, a board was implemented, Event Directors selected and in 1993 the first LTC convention was held in Phoenix at the Crescent Hotel. There were 327 participants entered in 10 pre-convention and 10 convention events. The convention was and still is held over Easter weekend, as it was found LTC was able to get the best rates at the hotels due to lower guest occupancy during this time. Initially, an Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday night and all the participants received their awards. The convention ended with a worship service on Sunday morning with the young men conducting the worship service. There is usually anywhere between 400 and 450 attending the worship service.

Each year the Phoenix LTC (known as the Southwest region) continues to grow. Starting with 16 congregations and increasing to 21 congregations from Arizona, Southern California, along with Fresno, Ca. (who drives all night to come to the Phoenix LTC), New Mexico, Idaho and Washington, and as many as 425 participants plus judges for each event, chaperones, and Event Directors, etc.

Eventually the Phoenix LTC had outgrown the hotel where the convention was held, and it was decided to expand LTC into the San Francisco, California area. In 1996 a group from the Phoenix LTC met at Pleasanton, California and a board of directors was formulated. In 1997 the first Northern California LTC was held.

Each year more congregations become involved in the Phoenix LTC. Over the past eleven years there have been new events added. The format of the award ceremony on Saturday night was changed to allow the many of the youth to demonstrate their God given talent that they have been blessed with and worked so hard all year long. The Saturday night Award Ceremony was changed to "Celebration". Each church was encouraged to have their own award presentation back at their home congregation so the local membership could see what their youth had accomplished and worked so hard for.

Be sure to thank God for those individuals at your congregation that have dedicated so much of their time to the LTC program.

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