YBL History

Founded in 1981 in Birmingham, Alabama, Young Business Leaders (YBL) is a Board-directed ministry whose purpose is to present the word of God to businessmen and professionals and to offer the tools and environment that facilitate spiritual growth. YBL was started by a small group of visionary business men who were looking for an effective way to bring the gospel message into the market place. Copying a campus ministry idea, these men decided to host a dinner banquet and asked a prominent businessman to speak about his life, career and his relationship to God. The event was so well received that they began to sponsor other similar events. Soon the idea of starting small group bible studies after each banquet was implemented and the model that became the YBL trademark was born. In 1984, Phil Reddick, an Area Director with Campus Crusade for Christ, was hired to become YBL Birmingham's first director. Shortly there after, YBL began to expand to other cites in Alabama such as Huntsville/Decatur; Montgomery and Cullman. In 1993, YBL crossed state lines for the first time to Jackson, Mississippi. At the present, YBL has full time staff in Birmingham (4), Huntsville/ Decatur (1) and Jackson, Mississippi (1).