Extreme Evangelism

An Interview with Chad Daniel

Chad Daniel has a passion to reach the hearts of young people. And whether he’s swimming with sharks…or preaching with a 30-foot snake wrapped around his neck, he captivates kids with his unique style. Through Chad Daniel Ministries, he has carried the Gospel to over 100 nations, and his TV program, YouthBytes, airs in over 17 languages. Ginger Stache, Joyce Meyer Ministries’ Chief Creative Officer, recently sat down with Chad to talk about the amazing ways he is partnering with Hand of Hope, Joyce Meyer Ministries World Missions to reach today’s youth.

Ginger Stache: You minister to young people around the world and use some interesting ways to get their attention. How does this help them receive your message?

Chad Daniel: I've always had a passion for young people, and God's given me some unique object lessons like using a snake. It’s something that really captures their imagination, and then we're able to bring the truth of the Gospel and watch God touch their hearts. I feel like my call is to show them the love of God, but also help them realize we can enjoy life and enjoy one another.

GS: You’ve been a part of Joyce Meyer Ministries for years. You started as a member of Hand of Hope, recording all of the outreaches for broadcast. Then God called you to go and reach this younger generation. How is Joyce Meyer Ministries a part of this vision?

CD: I couldn't do anything without my partnership and relationship with Joyce Meyer Ministries. I couldn't go if I wasn't sent. It’s the power of partnership. I can’t tell you how many young people come up to me and say, “Please say thank you to Joyce!” They've seen her through social media, TV, and the thousands of her books we give away. Joyce really has become a mother to a generation that she's never met. And it’s because of the friends and partners of Joyce Meyer Ministries, who see the need and invest and allow us to keep doing more to reach this generation.

GS: You spend a lot of time in Zambia and other parts of Africa. What are some of the needs that you are seeing there?

CD: Especially due to COVID, we've seen a lot of isolation and breakdown of community and family. We have a fatherless generation in South Africa, and most are raised by single mothers. The young people are desperately looking for security, hope and relationship. But as we minister, they are being radically changed by the power of God. They go home and their family comes to know Jesus, and we get them established in a local church and pour into them. This is how we reach a generation, one young person at a time.

GS: What are some of the specific challenges this new generation faces?

CD: Social media is where the spiritual battle is taking place with our children. They are hearing things they’ve never heard and seeing things they should never see. They see bullying and witness sexual immorality. It really affects their minds and isolates them to a place where they don’t want to spend time with family or go to church. We need to get into the invisible lives of our children’s relationships. Sometimes we have to take their phone away and set limits. I know a lot of parents are intimidated by this, but to do nothing enables our children and does more harm.

GS: So, for this generation who is always comparing themselves on social media and feeling like they’re coming up short, we have to use every opportunity to let them know we care. How do we do that?

CD: Ministry is intimacy. You have to get close to somebody and that makes you vulnerable. I always say that working with a teenager is a risk, and you may feel really insecure in the beginning. But if you stick with it, you’ll have a friend for life. I believe that’s what I’m called to do—to love this generation and let them know they are accepted and valuable.

GS: The topic of suicide is near to your heart. You lost your father to suicide, and you’re doing anything you can to help others. How does this issue affect today’s young people?

CD: It’s an epidemic, and I feel like God has called me to be a voice, especially overseas. We’re seeing young people literally get set free in our meetings. They will come up to me afterward and say, “I do have hope. I do have a future.” I believe this generation is going to change the face of Africa and Brazil, and it's our responsibility to go and proclaim that Jesus is the answer. It's always about Him. When Jesus gets involved, miracles happen, they really do.

GS: You even hold events in public schools. How did that come about?

CD: In Brazil, governmental officials have asked us, “Would you please come into the schools and communicate life? Would you please take on suicide?” I'll say, “You know what this means, right? I share the Gospel.” And they say, “We don’t care. We have a generation that's dying. We want you here. We need the hope of the Gospel.” And in Africa, it's the same. I'm just honored that God would give us a voice to a generation and do what most people think is impossible. Where God guides, He provides. And He opens doors that no man could ever open.