On Monday, we released from the company the President of Youth Specialties (YS), Mark Oestreicher. For many years, Marko was a courageous leader for this organization and we appreciate his years of service. Youth Specialties has been going through a transition since Zondervan purchased it several years ago, and at this time we feel we need to make a change.
I have known Marko a little bit for sometime. We shared a mentor at different times in our lives , and Marko actually interviewed me for a job at a previous church he was at. Thankfully for both of us I did not get it. He started his youth ministry career at a church right down the street from where our old campus was. In fact he took our youth group name with him to Omaha when he went to work there. Nobody has done more to advance junior high ministry more than Marko.
I can't say I am surprised Marko is no longer at YS. I would be surpised and saddended if he was terminated like this press release seems to be saying.
I'm not surprised because anytime a company like YS gets bought by a larger company like Zondervan there is usually transition at the top soon after. Eventually the corporate owner want's to exert its will and their is resistance and well, chage. Have no clue this is what happened at YS though. And I am not saying it was a bad thing anyway. Change is often good.
It sounds like Zondervan was not happy with how the conferences were going. Zondernvan did not buy YS just for the books. Conferences can be lucrative!
I wonder where Marko will go from here? Will it be heading up the Saddleback Youth Ministry publishing machine? Perhaps somewhere in student missions? My best guess, he will be a consultant. Much of the same perks, and more flex for the family. And it pays enough.
I hope he continues to use his voice to increase the depth of junior high ministry.
