Photography by Jessica Turner
When Caleb Cathey walked across the National Youth Conference stage, he wasn’t just accepting a crown for himself. He was taking part in a multi-generational legacy of young leaders in the Church of Christ community.
The National Youth Conference is a predominantly Black Church of Christ conference that has been held around the nation for 70 years. The conference focuses on motivating and guiding youth toward using their gifts to be leaders in the community and the church. Teen attendees can also compete in pageants at the state and national level featuring talent segments and speeches relating to a predetermined theme to try and take home the title of “Mr. National Congeniality,” “Ms. National Congeniality” for those ages 13-15, or “Mr. National Youth Conference” or “Ms. National Youth Conference” for teens ages 16-20.
This summer, Caleb Cathey walked across the pageant stage as the youngest in his category this year, introducing himself by reciting Philippians 4:13 in Mandarin Chinese to set himself apart. For his talent portion, Caleb came armed with a dramatic reading of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream.”
“I tried to put myself in the headspace of what people thought, how the crowd sounded, who was there,” Caleb says. “I used hand motions and voice training from my coaches to really portray what it was like to be there.”
In some ways, the Catheys say that it is more than a competition — the readings and talent portion are evident of their devotion to the conference and the church itself. Mr. National Congeniality winners represent the conference at events, serving as a representative and chaplain for other young Christians.
Caleb wasn’t the first Cathey to participate in the pageant. His older brother Noah was the 2019 winner and reigned as Mr. National Congeniality for three years due to COVID-19 canceling the 2020 and 2021 pageants. During his conference year, Noah performed a monologue called “Righteous Man” by Jonathan Evans, a speech that walks the audience from Adam to Jesus as God’s search for the Savior.
“I am pretty confident on stage,” Noah says. “But the challenge is trying to draw that line between your parents and their relationships and trying to make a name for yourself.”
In addition to having two winners in the family, Caleb and Noah’s father is a national director; their mother is the administrative coordinator; their grandfather was the senior director. The family is so involved, in fact, that Caleb and his twin brother Luke have been attending since before they could walk.
“Our family has been going to the conference for a few decades now. My grandpa was the senior statesman and chairman of the conference, and he took his kids, and our parents took us,” Noah says, “So I can’t take all of the credit. We’re beneficiaries of really great connections.”
Outside of the conference, both boys are involved in many extracurricular activities. Noah, a junior at St. Mark’s School of Texas, is the vice chair of the Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council, the editor of The Marque Literary Magazine, and is a part of the yearbook, track and basketball teams. Caleb, an eighth grader at St. Mark’s, is on the Green Team Club and the eighth-grade football team.
“Whether it’s community activities or just going to church, the conference really is an extension of our family. The bonds built in that one week last a lifetime,” says Noah. “The conference holds a special place in all of our hearts.
