2026 Youth Worker Hall of Fame inductee, Rev. Jeff Lathrop.

For more than two decades, Rev. Jeff Lathrop has been doing what he's always felt called to do: walking alongside young people, encouraging their gifts, and helping them discover where God is leading them. At the 2026 Dakotas Annual Conference, that faithful commitment was recognized as Lathrop was inducted into the Dakotas Conference Youth Worker Hall of Fame.

The Youth Worker Hall of Fame honors individuals who have demonstrated at least 20 years of extraordinary commitment to serving joyfully and empowering young people. Throughout his ministry, Lathrop has done exactly that— creating welcoming spaces where youth feel seen, valued, and called into leadership.

Ironically, Lathrop never saw the moment coming.

"Receiving this award means more to me than I can put into words," he shared. "Honestly, this wasn't on my bingo card for AC2026."

As members of the Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM) read the description of this year's inductee during the awards presentation, Lathrop began recognizing pieces of his own story.

"As they shared that person's story, I couldn't help but think, 'That sounds a lot like me,'" he recalled. "Even when they announced my name, my brain was still trying to catch up with what had just happened."

Surrounded by applause, embraced by his wife Holly, and congratulated by Bishop Lanette Plambeck, the moment was one of deep gratitude and humility.

"All I could manage to say was, 'Thank you,'" Lathrop said. "I'm incredibly grateful, not just for the recognition, but for the privilege of walking alongside young people and serving the church."

In many ways, Lathrop says his own story is a testament to the power of youth ministry.

"I am, in many ways, a by-product of the Dakotas United Methodist Church," he said.

Growing up in a single-parent household, Lathrop's home church made sure finances would never prevent him from experiencing church camp. They covered his camping costs, encouraged him to serve on District and Conference Council on Youth Ministries, and trusted him with opportunities to preach and lead while he was still a young person.

"I would not be where I am today without a church that encouraged a single mother with two boys to send me to church camp," he said. "Youth ministry is not just something I care about professionally. It is part of my own story. It helped shape my faith, my leadership, and my calling."

CCYM attending DakYouth in 2019.

Those early experiences eventually led him into full-time youth ministry, where his passion for creating welcoming environments helped youth ministries flourish. Even as his pastoral appointments and responsibilities evolved, his commitment to young people never changed. Throughout his ministry, Lathrop has served as an advocate for youth leadership, adult chair of CCYM, camp leader, and a supporter of the Youth Worker Academy, helping equip leaders across the Dakotas Conference to better serve the next generation.

For Lathrop, youth ministry is among the church's most important callings.

"Middle school and high school are some of the most formative years in a person's life," he said. "The church has a unique opportunity to walk alongside young people as they discover who they are, what they believe, and where they belong."

As he reflects on the people who invested in him, Lathrop hopes today's church continues to notice the young people who may need encouragement the most.

"My advice is to pay attention," he said. "Pay attention to the single mother or father who is doing their best. Pay attention to the children and youth whose families may not be able to afford much beyond the basics."

Lathrop also reminds clergy and church leaders never to underestimate the influence they have on young people.

"Many saw something in me that I couldn't see or imagine," he said. "Continue to encourage them. Plant seeds of possibility. Nurture their journey."

The Youth Worker Hall of Fame celebrates a legacy of faithful service, but for Jeff Lathrop, the recognition points back to something even greater—the countless people who invested in him, and the generations of young people he has faithfully invested in ever since.

His legacy serves as a reminder that when the church believes in its young people, the impact reaches far beyond a single generation.