Y-W.A.I.T.
Mentoring Program
The vision of YWAIT (Youth Winning When Abstinence Is Taught) began over 25 years ago as a heart desire of our Pastor, Bishop A. Bryan Claxton. As a Sunday school teacher of the adolescent class of the Church of the Risen Savior (now New Creation), young Rev. Claxton interacted and related to teenagers on a regular basis. After witnessing his peers and class participants making unwise decisions concerning their personal relationships, sexual behavior, goal-setting and spiritual growth, he knew that a change in the presentation of biblical truth must be made for his and future generations.
During mid-1986 Rev. Claxton hosted a “sexuality workshop,” the first such event at New Creation. The objectives were two-fold, to present the benefits of sexual abstinence, and to equip the parents to be the main sex-educators of their children.
In May of 1990, the commencement activity became known as “For Wedlock Only,” an annual public pledge ceremony of youth, parents and youth leaders, held during the Memorial Day weekend. The first event was held for females only, but males were quickly included
Leadership was transferred to Anthony Allen, IV in mid-2002. As Program Director Tony Allen updated the program curriculum and continued to recruit new mentors and participants. Y-WAIT has flourished as one of the leading mentoring programs in the Church Mentoring Initiative, and has twice received the honor of being awarded the “Excellence in Mentoring” by the Maryland Mentoring Partnership (2000 & 2004).