The fellowship started in 1971 under the inspired leadership of Deacon Jude Omorebokhai, who thereafter handed over to Rev. Mowete in the early 80’s, and 1989 the leadership mantle fell on Rev Bathelomi Sanni who served till the year 2000 and was succeeded by Rev Sam Ani, all mighty men of God. It was initially called Christian Youth Association and was meant to be and interdenominational fellowship that will embrace and reach out to all believers beyond CGMI. The members were very broad minded in their approach to life and outreach. By 2006 the presiding Bishop of CGMI handed over the helms of affairs to Rev Osas Obarisagbon as the National Director of what is today known as Christian Youth Fellowship a name given by the founding Archbishop of CGMI, Arch Bishop B.A Idahosa.
The first leadership rented an office outside the church and paid a staff evangelist who worked seven days a week. This they did even though none of them was working and receiving salary from anywhere. They prayed in this office and had meetings there on Saturdays. They had a yearly programme known as youth week that entailed different activities and was held in different churches like New Benin Baptist church, Holy Cross Catholic Church Mission Road, etc. at different days during the youth week. Joining other believers in these churches made it easy for them to come to CGM when they were invited. This youth week has long grown from an annual youth convention/camping into a bi-annual International youth summit attracting close to ten thousand youths from all over Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world, in attendance.
The youths were highly involved in church affairs and strongly handled church’s activities. For example, the youths were the Sunday school teachers even the Sunday school superintendent was a youth. Their voice was very relevant and important in the church and beyond. There was a time the government wanted to demolish CGM Miracle Centre for construction purposes and the youths wrote a letter which was successfully handed to General Obasanjo to stop the demolition move.
Today, that army of youth, planting churches all over the nations of the earth are now the Bishops, coordinators, presbyters, pastors and leaders of not only church of God Mission Churches, but also presidents, founders and leaders of the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria Africa and most parts of Europe and the America impacting positive radical changes after the mandate of the founding Archbishop Papa “Evangelism our supreme task”.
Since the new millennium, under the impactful leadership of the Archbishop, Rt. Rev Dr. M.E. Benson Idahosa, OON, JP. The focus of the youth fellowship has been and still is “building people into leadership with a global passion deeply rooted in Christ”.
