Discover the Origins of Pathfinders
Did you know that Pathfinder clubs weren’t started by just one person? Instead, a group of passionate individuals, with a love for God and a focus on youth, created Pathfinder-like clubs in different locations. These clubs eventually grew into the incredible ministry we now know as Pathfinders.
The first recorded Pathfinder Club was directed by John McKim and Willa Steen in Anaheim, California from the late 1920s to the 1930s. When McKim passed away in 1944 and the Steens relocated, Lester and Ione Martin, along with co-directors Theron and Ethel Johnston, continued the tradition in Santa Ana, California.
These early clubs were supported and encouraged by Elder Guy Mann, the Youth Director, and his associate Laurance A. Skinner in the Southeastern California Conference. However, there were several years without any official clubs.
In 1946, John H. Hancock, the youth director for Southeastern California Conference, brought Pathfinders to Riverside, California. John even designed the iconic Pathfinder triangle emblem. He recruited Francis Hunt, a ministerial student, to lead the club. John and his wife Helen Hancock taught valuable honors.
In the late 1940s, Pathfinder clubs began to emerge in the Southern California Conference and the Central California Conference. Lawrence Paulson directed the first club in Glendale, while Henry T. Bergh, the Youth Director, kickstarted the program with 23 clubs in the Central California Conference.
With the success of the Pathfinder program in California, it caught the attention of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The program was officially adopted in 1950, becoming a worldwide organization within the Adventist Church.
Today, Pathfinders is a global ministry, impacting the lives of thousands, if not millions, of young people around the world.
Area Staff
Rosio Aguilera
Area Coordinator
Jamal Williams
Associate Area Coordinator
Pablo Lopez
Associate Area Coordinator
Daisy Hernandez
Secretary/Communications
Wendy Sanchez
Treasurer
Jorge Aguilera
Sound and Video Area Director
Luis May
Area IT Web
Javier Sanchez
Music Leader
