Walking in the Footsteps of David Wilkerson is the journal of a young man (the author) who walked much the same journey as the famed David Wilkerson (founder of Teen Challenge, Times Square Church, World Challenge, and many other ministries). The book offers a very detailed account, even a word for word interaction, between the life of a mentee and a mentor. Although the relationship was never planned or formal, Simpson shares how the paths of these two men were intertwined for years, benefiting both Charles and “Pastor Dave,” as he has been affectionately called.

Charles Simpson was born and raised in Tennessee, the eleventh of twelve children. After his conversion at the age of 17, he received a missionary call to New York City where he has spent most of his adult life, pastoring, planting churches, and working in Bible schools. While serving as the Pastor of Prayer at Times Square Church, he met and married his wife, Lynn. They have been privileged to work alongside great leaders such as David and Don Wilkerson, Michael Brown, Peter Wagner, Brian Simmons, Vincent Buonfiglio, Joel Sadaphal, and Russell Hodgins. Charles is currently (as of 2018) the Campus Pastor at Brooklyn Teen Challenge and the Director of its School of Ministry.

The book begins with the personal life of the author, hailing from rural life in Tennessee. He compares his youth and upbringing to the early years of David Wilkerson. Both were raised in a strict environment, both felt led to serve in New York City, both were out of their comfort zones (racially, socially, and in other ways), both had a heavy burden and believed that God wanted them to serve those who might be categorized as “unreached” due to their status, both had a prophetic ministry, and both saw the importance of prayer (for themselves and for those they served). How these pilgrims met, how they found each other on that same path, and what that relationship meant to a budding next generation minister is laid out for all to read (the good and the less good).

Typically, some would write a book about their association with the “greats” to impress the reader. “It is who you know that gets you ahead in life,” is often said. But Simpson humbly lays out his faults as well as his accomplishments and includes those of Bro. Dave. Rather than boast, the author shares the importance of having a godly mentor in life that will change both the mentee as well as those they reach. Truly, this was accomplished thorough this association. But he also realizes how important it is to be a mentor himself: “I have learned through the years, the fastest way to [be] a spiritual father—like Paul was to Timothy—is to focus on pouring into the Timothys you can find all around you” (page 170). He learned well.

In one of the last chapters, he lists a few of the mantles that were thrown over his shoulder by the departing mentor: he always listened to God, he was pliable in God’s hands, he was a faithful steward of his giftings, he was willing to admit his mistakes publicly, he deliberately took himself off our pedestals, etc. (Chapter 13).

I was especially interested in reading the account of Pastor Dave’s life because, although not in any way equaling the relationship between Simpson and Pastor Wilkerson, my life has also somehow followed a thread with that “country preacher.” Growing up in New York City and living in Brooklyn and the Bronx, being a part of the early ministry of Pastor Dave when his ministry at time was known as Teenage Evangelism, and later being on the staff of his Bible School in Pennsylvania, I had moments of nostalgia as I recalled so many of the incidents cited in this journal. I believe Simpson caught the essence of his mentor quite vividly and fairly.

Charles Simpson is presently the Campus Pastor at Brooklyn Teen Challenge and the Director of its School of Ministry. I recommend that everyone in leadership should read his account and evaluate whether mentorship is a priority and part of their own ministry responsibilities.

Reviewed by Nat J. Saginario

About the Reviewer: Nat J. Saginario, M.Ed. (R.I. College), has served the body of Christ around the world by teaching at various Christian Bible Colleges in the USA, as pastor and assistant pastor, as short-term missions team leader and with Barnabas leadership training teams to over 85 countries. His association with David Wilkerson began in 1958 as director of the Teenage Evangelism Youth Choir from churches around the NYC Metropolitan area that ministered on the Teen Challenge (the eventual name of Wilkerson’s ministry) TV weekly program. He later went on to serve as a member of the faculty and administrative staff of Mt. Zion, later Summit International School of Ministry, the school in PA founded by Wilkerson and now the Bible School of Times Square Church.

Further Reading:

Charles Simpson, “The Cross and the Screwdriver” DestinyImage.com (July 28, 2018).

David Wilkerson: The Cross, the Switchblade, and the Man Who Believed is an honest and candor assessment written by the son of David Wilkerson (founder of Teen Challenge and personality behind the famed story The Cross and the Switchblade). As he reminisces with graphic stories from his childhood, Gary Wilkerson evaluates his father’s life and ministry until his death in 2011. Wilkerson’s chronicle contains a window into the verve of a man who pioneered an inner city ministry and also prophesied of the end-times. For myself, as a youth, The Cross and the Switchblade was the first book I read from cover-to-cover. The astonishing stories caught my attention as I sought to discover the foundational experiences of a preacher who left his pastorate in rural Pennsylvania and moved to New York City.

Wilkerson’s formative years were based in a strict Pentecostal-holiness home, as the second child of five children. His father, also a pastor, ran a tight ship as a parent. As the son of a preacher, “no” was the operative word. No movies, no sports, no television, no extracurricular activities in this Pentecostal-holiness culture. Gary, as his son, was privy to his father’s private stories, sharing them with serious reflection and humor.

David Wilkerson’s amazing ministry had many twists and turns, yet the foundation remained living by faith on every occasion. Whether he ministered to a recovering drug addict or proclaimed a message about judgment in America, Wilkerson was never deterred by problems or money. However, what is remarkable about this memoir was Gary’s openness about his father’s successes and failures. Though Teen Challenge is by all accounts a success story, he also relates the tragedies. On one occasion, he shares the story of a police officer who contacted the ministry because a Teen Challenge card had been found in the hands of a dead woman who overdosed on the roof of a building.

Many well-known personalities associated with Wilkerson’s ministry were depicted with frank fondness. Nicky Cruz, the converted gang member of the Mau Mau’s was a noticeable figure. Dallas Holm, the musician and songwriter, became a friend to Gary, teaching him the enjoyment of motocross while his family lived in southern California. Pat Boone, intrigued by the miraculous stories contacted Wilkerson. Ultimately, without the television star’s persistence, the movie version of The Cross and the Switchblade may have never materialized. In due course, David’s brother, Don Wilkerson associated himself with Teen Challenge. Leonard Ravenhill, one of the few mentors David accepted, introduced him to Puritan writings and books. Of course, David’s wife, Gwen and their children’s’ sacrifices for the ministry are intertwined throughout the book.

Wilkerson’s visionary ministry at World Challenge in Texas and the consideration that he was a prophet, from his book The Vision, are deemed as trail blazing works and controversial. However, when he founded Times Square Church in Manhattan, as a pastor, his message turned toward grace. The newsletter World Challenge Pulpit Series, included his current sermons, which were mailed to millions throughout the world.

I have three take-aways from reading this book. First, God can do miracles when you live by faith. An ordinary preacher from rural Pennsylvania believed God called him to New York City and he obeyed God’s voice. Second, one can struggle with being good (because of a legalistic background), yet encourage others to higher acts of faith. Gary Wilkerson keenly wrote that his father’s “authority came from his own suffering” (205) and related numerous moments when his soul was in anguish. Third, humility, dedication, and sacrifice remain the essential virtues to aspire in the Christian ministry.

In short, I would highly recommend the reading of this book for pastoral ministry. David Wilkerson, though imperfect and vulnerable regarding his sense of significance, discovered strength only in a fervent prayer life with the Lord. Gary Wilkerson’s raw and visceral description of his father’s spirit produces a full view of authentic ministry based on the God’s grace. David Wilkerson struggled all his life with self-worth, yet he recognized that God loved him deeply as he preached that same message to others. Indeed, a discerning reading of the book declares that the cross is mightier than the switchblade.

Reviewed by Cletus L. Hull

Preview: https://books.google.com/books?id=pFxtAgAAQBAJ

Publisher’s page: http://www.zondervan.com/david-wilkerson

 

The book being discussed is: Church Refugees: Sociologists Reveal Why People Are DONE With Church But Not Their Faith by Josh Packard and Ashleigh Hope.