The Country’s Biggest Y Keeps the ‘C’ in YMCA

By Tom Gilson Published on May 30, 2018

I’ve always loved to swim, so when our family moved from Yorktown, Virginia, to Lebanon, Ohio, six years ago, one of the first things I did was to visit the local YMCA. I’d heard it was big. I had no idea.

I found the info desk and asked for directions to a pool where I could swim laps. “Indoors or outdoors?” she asked. “Indoors,” I answered. “Okay,” she answered, “and would you prefer warm, medium, or cool?” That’s right — three pools large enough for laps — two of them usable for competition — besides the diving pool and the other pools outdoors.

It wasn’t long before I saw there was an indoor soccer field right near the “cool” pool. The place is just huge.

It’s the biggest YMCA facility in the United States, actually, and it’s firmly committed to the “C” in “YMCA.” Last week I sat down with Chris Johnson, CEO of the Ralph J. Stolle Countryside YMCA in Lebanon (between Cincinnati and Dayton) to find out what makes this huge facility such a caring, community-oriented, Christian place.

The Stream:  How did this Y come to be?

Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson

CHRIS JOHNSON: Ralph J. Stolle [a local industrialist], Neil Armstrong [yes, that Neil Armstrong; he lived in Lebanon for 20 years after leaving NASA] and several other business leaders sat down to meet over 40 years ago. Their purpose was to discover the best way provide a safe and caring place for the families of this community to gather, always with Christian principles at the center.

“That founding principle has consistently remained very much the goal of this Y in this community, from our board all the way down to our staff. Indeed from its inception as a prayer meeting in London back in 1844, the YMCA has always been a Christian organization.”

The Stream: How typical is this Christian emphasis?

CHRIS JOHNSON: The YMCA is organized as independent associations. Therefore how much the “C” is promoted, valued and communicated is each local association’s decision.

“In our case it is very much a part of who we are. We open all our board, staff and committee meetings in prayer. We have Bible verses on our walls. We not only want to teach your children to play basketball or soccer or to swim, but we’re also going to intentionally focus on Christian principles and character traits. It’s part of our curriculum. It’s what we talk about.

There are many other Ys as strong or even stronger in that. We try to learn from them and take their best practices. But there are also others where it’s less of a priority.

The YMCA is also global. In many parts of the world, it’s less of a fitness facility as we think of it here in the U.S. In Peru it’s primarily after-school programs for kids. In Africa it’s mostly for helping women receive training and to escape the slave trade. In Eastern Europe the Y focuses on addiction response, as well as support for refugees.

The Stream: Could you tell us about your transition from Pastor To CEO?

CHRIS JOHNSON: I had been the executive pastor at Antioch, church in the Countryside YMCA, which meets here in this facility. We started out renting space here, and we made it our intention to stay and do ministry right here. In fact we set the goal of being one of the best partners, if not the best partner this YMCA has in serving this community.

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So in many ways when I compare what I was called to at the church to what I feel called to here, it’s the same mission. I’m called to care for and love and minister to and provide for this community. It’s very much the same calling I felt as part of Antioch. Sure, it’s an expansion in terms of the number of people, but in terms of what I do on a day-to-day basis, it feels very much like the same calling from the Lord.

The Stream: What have you learned here about combining spiritual life and work life?

CHRIS JOHNSON: I’ve had experience in the for-profit world, having worked with GE before serving with Antioch. Whether it’s here, at the church or at GE, I’ve always believed there’s no such thing as a separation between the secular and the faith space.

I’ve always struggled with the unspoken expectation that you were one person at home or when involved in your faith and a different person when you showed up at the workplace. I’ve always fought against that, both personally and professionally.

Here at the Y our mission is to care for others. We have the opportunity to call it our vocation. But I was here as a volunteer as well, doing some of the same things I’m doing here now as a paid person.

We try first and foremost to demonstrate servant leadership, whether that’s me as the CEO 0r one of our part-time lifeguards. We’re on this team together caring for this community. We want to provide the best experience for members and those that come in.

We recognize people walk in our doors for lots of different reasons. Often what they tell us at first isn’t the real reason. They may walk in saying, “I need to lose weight.” As we begin to hear their story, we discover the reason they’re struggling in this area is because they’ve had a loss in their life. It’s led to depression, which has led them to less activity. We hear many different kinds of stories reflecting many different needs. More than just providing exercise cycles and swimming pools, we’re meeting them in their need for community, for purpose and for relationships.

The Stream: What else do you think our readers would want  to know?

CHRIS JOHNSON: I think one of the great values of the YMCA in most communities is it’s still a safe place relative to the many partisan divides we find. We say the Y is for all, and we want to be a place where our culture can move toward the togetherness of getting in the same room and talking through things, rather than going our own ways. I really believe the Y can lead in being that kind of safe space, promoting connection, understanding and relationships.

Concluding Note from Tom Gilson

I couldn’t help noticing that in the original unedited 24 minute recorded conversation, Chris Johnson used the word “community” at least twelve times. Most of the time it was part of the phrase, “caring for our community.” It shows. The “C” in this YMCA stands for Christian — and for caring and community.

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