Dr. James Stands---a practicing OBGYN physician with over 20 years experience--was the driving force behind the formation of Silver Ring SC. As a gynecologist Dr. Stands observed a trend of younger and younger adolescents with depression, attempted suicide, and life threatening diseases resulting from sexually transmitted diseases.
He rose to action to find an instrument he could use to communicate to adolescents and adults the devastating consequences of premarital sex and introduce them to the gospel and God’s plan for abstinence until marriage. His search lead him to establish Silver Ring SC which was originally formed in 2003 as a hub from Silver Ring Thing’s national campaign to create a cultural shift from dangerous sexual carelessness to purity.
As SC continues to increase in the number of sexually transmitted diseases so does the great need for our ministry. In 2005, Silver Ring SC held 4 events in our state. In 2006 that number increased to 10 events with the milestone of over 10,000 having attended a Silver Ring Thing event in South Carolina. The growth has continued in 2007 with the first quarter seeing as many youth attending our events as in the entire previous year.
The national program was founded by youth group leader Denny Pattyn who put together a program of skits for his youth group to communicate the message of sexual purity. This was as a response to the escalating numbers of teen pregnancies in his town of Yuma, Arizona in 1996. Silver Ring Thing gained force and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2000. The national program now has hubs in Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. Over 85,000 teens wear the rings nationwide.
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