AG Adds Young Adult Ministry Focus

The national office of the General Council of the Assemblies of God has announced that a new national office of Young Adult Ministries will be launched with Josh Wellborn, the current national Youth director, appointed as its director.

The creation of the new national ministry is seen as an important bridge in helping youth transition to young adulthood while helping them grow in — or experience for the first time — their relationship with Christ.

Assistant General Superintendent Rick DuBose notes that while youth typically share a common path of supervised primary and secondary education, the paths for young adults vary greatly — college, vocational school, marriage, and careers being among the many variants. However, the variety also means greater ministry opportunities and opportunities to connect as paths often intersect with each other.

“The Assemblies of God and the national office recognize that young adults are vital to having a healthy church in every community, and we are excited and passionate about reaching, empowering, and advancing the next generation in fulfilling God’s calling upon their lives” DuBose says.

Wellborn is excited by the opportunity to build a new department, articulate vision, and craft strategy for impacting the lives of young adults with the gospel.

“Young adults are in a huge transitional period in their lives,” Wellborn says. “They wonder where and if they fit into the church body and frequently grapple with deep questions about their faith. And then there are those returning to or entering the faith for the first time. This is a God-given opportunity for us to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of young adults, help them to mature and take ownership of their faith, and become the men and women of God who will one day lead our churches and our Fellowship.”

With the placement of Wellborn to lead Young Adults Ministries, Austin Westlake, the present director of Student Discipleship in the national Youth department, has been appointed as the next national Youth director.

“The leadership of the Assemblies of God is thrilled to appoint and ratify this anointed, gifted, humble, and yet strong young minister for such a time as this,” General Superintendent Doug Clay says. “Austin is a mature soul with fantastic communication and leadership gifts. He presents a promising new season of youth ministry to our Fellowship.”

Westlake is a third-generation, ordained Assemblies of God minister. Known for his strong pulpit ministry, he shared an impactful message at the 2023 General Council in Columbus, Ohio.

Holly Davis has since been chosen to follow Westlake as director of Student Discipleship.

These new ministry roles began Dec. 1, 2024.