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Jackie Le

April 2, 2015
The Literacy of Leadership
UWRT 1103
Andrew Brown
The leadership of literacy is being able to take the knowledge that one has gained through
experiences and using it to teach others. The definition of the literacy of leadership goes well with the
definition of literacy because I believe that it is being educated in a specific area. I decided to become
more educated in the field of leadership because I thought that it could benefit me in the future if I ever
am put into a position where I would need to make important decisions for a group. To do so, I could not
think of a better leader to observe than the former North Carolina Clusterhead of CFC-Youth, P.J Solon.
CFC-Youth is a worldwide religious group that is for people under the age of twenty-one that are
seeking to gain a better relationship with God through fellow brothers and sisters. As of 2015, CFC-Youth
has been confirmed to be active in 49 states in the United States and is continuing to grow every year. In
2006, a CFC-Youth was finally confirmed in North Carolina with a boy named P.J as the Clusterhead
leader. Because P.J was the Clusterhead, this came with the responsibility of being in charge of the entire
state of North Carolina. At the age of thirteen, P.J was spontaneously appointed the Clusterhead by his
parents who were in charge of the CFC, which is a religious group for adults rather than kids, during that
time. With little resources and connections, he had to try to use the little amount of information that he
had from his parents to start a youth group completely on his own while trying to figure out his own
relationship with God in the process. Because of the task that he was given, he was under constant stress
because he grew up in a very religious household and was eager to impress his parents. P.J was not able to
do many things that other thirteen year olds were able to do because his life had been consumed with
creating this youth group.
While attempting to balance out his teenage life as well as the group and school, he was still
questioning why he was chosen to be the Clusterhead. There were many times when he felt like he was
not suitable for the role and just wanted to quit because the pressure was too much to bear. In addition to
trying to figure out how he was going to lead, he needed to find people that would be willing to help him

during this process and take on the responsibility. He learned that he needed to find musically inclined
people to be in the Music Ministry, which is the team that is responsible for teaching worship music, as
well as finding a Sister Clusterhead leader to assist him. P.J could not find anyone willing to take on the
roles that he needed so for many years, he did everything himself such as learning many different
instruments in order to play music when he needed to. He also was forced to lead on his own because he
did not know many girls that were comfortable enough to take on such a large task. At the end of 2006,
P.J finally held the first CFC-Youth retreat camp that had about five participants. With P.J being the only
person doing every task, the camp was not as organized or successful as they are today but he is very
thankful that the five people that decided to join the ministry did not quit after the camp. Ecstatic, P.J
finally did not feel so alone and helpless. He had gained five brothers that would help him in his journey
and in just about two years, P.J and his team had made a CFC-Youth group with over 100 members.
Although P.J felt like he was finally succeeding in creating his group, he was still going through
the struggles and temptations that many teenagers go through. He faced plenty of obstacles that made him
question his own beliefs and was constantly bullied because his friends found out about his youth group.
Because of this, P.J was forced to make the decision of quitting CFC-Youth or stop being friends with the
people at his school and in the end, he chose CFC-Youth. His decision was the hardest decision that he
has ever made because it left him with no friends at school but he knew that the group that he created
from nothing would always be there from him. Being the Clusterhead also came with setting an example.
He wanted his members to look up to him as a role model so although he was always under constant peer
pressure to try drugs or alcohol, he never gave in because he not only did not want to give CFC-Youth a
negative image but also did not want his members to think that it was fine to give into peer pressure if he
did. He wanted to lead by example.
It is now 2015 and the CFC-Youth in North Carolina has grown into one of the largest and most
successful groups out of all of the states with over 300 members. Through this process, I am thankful to
have been able to observe what it is like to be a leader because I have always assumed that the position is
much easier than it really seems. By observing P.J, I was able to understand how important the role is for

not only the leader, but for everyone that he has influenced. P.J has put all of his effort into the group and
has trained everyone who are now leaders in North Carolina. Currently attending North Carolina State
University at the age of twenty-two, P.J decided last year that it was the right time to step down as the
Clusterhead and give the position to one of the brothers that he had been observing for a while. Although
everyone in CFC-Youth knows that it will be strange not being be under the leadership of P.J anymore,
they know that he will always be there when he is needed. At his last event in September, he gave his final
speech and stated, I have been in this ministry for as long as I can remember. It has given me the
opportunity to travel the country and meet the greatest people but I owe the success of this group to
everyone here today. This group has been able to mold and shape our hearts in all of the right ways and I
know that in the future, CFC-Youth will become even greater. Thank you all for giving me this amazing
opportunity and for participating in this adventure with me. His statement truly made me understand that
by being a leader, he was able to grow and mature in a way that he would have never expected when he
started at thirteen years old. He was able to teach and share his knowledge in a way that was selfless but
beneficial for all of his members. Although he is not the official Clusterhead anymore, P.J continues to
participate and plans every event that is held as well as continues to be in constant contact with his
members to make sure that they are not facing through any problems in their lives alone. Through his life,
he has become a confident and well-rounded leader that is a role model for everyone. He may have faced
plenty of issues in the process but he has done much more than just succeed in his task of creating a CFCYouth in North Carolina.

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