Charles Harrison has been actively involved in Ministry since 1988. After leaving a career as a Retail Sales Executive with a Flagship Department Store Chain, he served for 3 1/2 years in the area of Single's Ministry. He started working with Youth and Families in 1991. He has served a very Small Church, a Mid-sized Church, a Large Church, and a Mega Church; Directing a program that started with 1 Youth and developing programs that grew as big as 500 active Youth. He has also helped to develop a "pre-Youth-group" for older elementary kids in two different Churches, which have gone on to fill important ministry needs in two different communities that previously offered nothing for the elementary age groups on a weekly basis.
Charles has led Youth Ministry events on the District, Conference, Jurisdictional, and National level. He served as the Chair of the North Texas Conference (UMC) Youth Division for 4 years. He has served as a District Youth Co-Coordinator in two different Districts in the North Texas Conference. For 5 years he served as the Coordinator for the Conference Council on Youth Ministry in the North Texas Conference. He served on the design team for the South Central Jurisdiction's Spiritual Life Rally for Youth in the summers of 2001 & 2005; served on the Steering Committee for The United Methodist Youth Organization (formally NYMO). He spent a considerable amount of time in helping Youth from across the United States develop and implement Spiritual Discernment as their governing mode of Youth Empowered Leadership at Conferences and Convocations.
For 12 years, Charles has served on The Perkins School of Youth Ministry Faculty and Design Team, at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, specializing in the areas of Spiritual Growth in Youth Ministry, Junior High Bible Study, Adolescent Development, Conversion Experiences, Wesleyan Youth Ministry, and Youth Camping Models. For 5 years, Charles served on the Faculty of Perkins School of Volunteer Youth Ministry, at Perkins School of Theology at SMU, specializing in the areas of Purpose and Philosophy of Youth Ministry and in Junior High Bible Study. He has taught graduate level classes for Certification in Youth Ministry from GBHEM at Perkins School of Theology, SMU in 4 of the 5 required areas: Theology, Bible, Adolescent World, and Youth Ministry Overview. He has also led numerous workshops at National and Jurisdictional events in Spiritual Growth, Developing Spiritual Discernment, and in Liberating Youth From Contemporary Culture. He has also provided specialized training in Annual Conferences, Districts, and Local Churches for Youth Ministry Volunteers, Full and Part Time Youth Ministry Professionals, Church Staffs, and Church Boards.
Charles serves Ecumenically in local Churches, Districts, and Conferences across the United States as well as in Europe, Canada, and Mexico, as a Youth Ministry Consultant, providing leadership development of Youth and Youth Workers through mentoring, training, workshops, and retreats.
Charles also serves as Executive Director of a start-up non-profit known as The Center for Wesleyan Renewal. Through the Center, he helps to write and develop a Wesleyan model of Youth Ministry; a Wesleyan model for local churches, campus ministries, and mission organizations; resources for these organizations to use; and provides on-site consulting for implementation of Wesleyan Driven Ministry.
Charles worked as part of an National Ecumenical group to help develop a Resource to educate Youth on the dangers and issues of Tobacco use. My Creator, My Life, My Choices: Nurturing Tobacco Free Kids, A Leaders Guide For Youth (ISBN 1-57895-042-2) was developed in conjunction with The Center For Tobacco free Kids in Washington D.C.
Charles serves on the Board of Directors for Proyecto Abrigo (a mission organization based in Juarez, Mexico), C2K- Connect to the Kingdom (a mission organization based in Oak Cliff/West Dallas- and currently he serves as the Acting Executive Director unpaid), The Youth Worker Movement (the national organization for over 2,700 United Methodist Youth Ministers based in Nashville, TN), and The Foundation for Evangelism (based in Lake Junaluska, NC).
He has also served as an active Lay-Delegate to the North Texas Conference for over 10 years.
Charles is the Co-Founder and CEO of Youth Ministry Associates. He leads several Mission teams a year of Adults, Youth, and Children as a U.S. Agent for Proyecto Abrigo inJuarez, Mexico and formerly through The Methodist Warehouse in West Dallas. He wouldn't miss working at Youth Summer Camps for all the Atomic Fireballs in Sam's!
Charles spends all of his free-time with his Life-Partner of 16+ years, Georgia M. Harrison. She is a student at Perkins School of Theology and a Candidate for Deacon in the North Texas Conference. She hopes to specialize in Urban Ministry. Charles especially enjoys his time with his own Children, Ricky (15) and Marisa (11).
