David Wilkerson (1931-2011) was an American Christian evangelist who founded Teen Challenge, a program for addiction recovery, and World Challenge, a global missionary organization. He also established the interdenominational Times Square Church in New York City. His most widely recognized work is the book "The Cross and the Switchblade," co-authored with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, which recounts his ministry to New York gangs and drug addicts.

Born into a Pentecostal preacher's family, Wilkerson began preaching in his youth and was ordained in 1952. He felt a divine calling to minister to youth involved in gangs and drug culture, leading him to New York City in 1958. This experience formed the basis for Teen Challenge, which grew into a worldwide network. His ministry emphasized core Christian beliefs, focusing on God's holiness, love, and the significance of Jesus Christ, while avoiding denominational distinctions. Wilkerson's work reached a broad audience through books, including "The Cross and the Switchblade," which was also adapted into a film.

Born in Indiana in 1931, David Wilkerson grew up in a Pentecostal Christian household, with both his paternal grandfather and father serving as ministers. He experienced what he described as baptism with the Holy Spirit at age eight and began preaching around fourteen. After attending Central Bible College, affiliated with the Assemblies of God, he was ordained as a minister in 1952. His early pastoral work in Pennsylvania churches took a significant turn in 1958 when he saw a magazine photograph of New York City gang members. Feeling a strong spiritual compulsion, he traveled to New York to preach to these groups, leading to his expulsion from a courtroom but also gaining him public attention as a "Bible preacher who had interrupted the gang trial." This event spurred the development of his street ministry to young drug addicts and gang members.

In 1958, Wilkerson established Teen Challenge in Brooklyn, an evangelical Christian initiative designed for addiction recovery and encompassing social and evangelistic outreach centers. This program eventually expanded globally. His national recognition grew significantly with the 1962 publication of "The Cross and the Switchblade," a collaborative autobiography with John and Elizabeth Sherrill. The book detailed his work with New York's youth, including the conversion of gang leader Nicky Cruz. Selling millions of copies and translated into numerous languages, it was recognized as a highly influential book for evangelicals. The book's success led to a 1970 film adaptation of the same name.

Wilkerson expanded his ministry in 1967 with Youth Crusades, aimed at middle-class teenagers, and later founded World Challenge in 1971, a non-profit organization dedicated to global evangelism and social service, now led by his son Gary. A pivotal moment occurred in 1986 when, after witnessing the destitution in Times Square, Wilkerson felt called to establish a ministry there. This led to the founding of Times Square Church in October 1987. Operating from various venues in Times Square, including the historic Mark Hellinger Theatre, the church focused on biblical preaching and fostering a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, deliberately avoiding denominational affiliations. Wilkerson's ministry also involved interactions with other prominent Christian figures.

Wilkerson and his wife Gwen divided their time between New York and Texas in their later years, having raised four children. Throughout his extensive ministry, Wilkerson authored numerous books. His life concluded tragically on April 27, 2011, when he died in a head-on collision with a truck in East Texas, just before his 80th birthday. His wife, Gwendolyn, passed away from cancer the following year. His ministry and organizations, such as Teen Challenge and World Challenge, continued to operate and expand after his death.

“My heart broke over what I saw. At that time, Times Square was populated mainly by prostitutes and pimps, runaways, drug addicts and hustlers, along with live peep shows and X-rated movie houses. I cried out for God to do something—anything—to help the physically destitute and spiritually dead people I saw.”

“I wept and prayed, ‘God, you’ve got to raise up a testimony in this hellish place. The answer was not what I wanted to hear: ‘Well, you know the city. You’ve been here. You do it.’”

“I am not preaching some denominational doctrine, This church does not belong to any denomination. We are not Assemblies of God, we're not Baptist, we're not Methodist, we're not Catholic. We're just Holy Ghost people believing this book [The Bible].”