About the Southern Interstate Ministries Conference

For 23 plus years, the Southern Interstate Youth Convention (SIYC) has ministered to, supported and encouraged many of our youth and young adults to be better; to strive for that which seems unreachable by continuing to trust in God and themselves. The SIYC's vision was to give  our young ministers, leaders, teachers and musicians an opportunity to use their gifts and talents to glorify God on a larger scale.

The Southern Interstate Youth Convention (SIYC) was the brainchild of  Rev. Dr. Preston Ervin, Sr. and Rev. Robert Petitt.  Dr. Ervin was concerned about the plight of the youth in the southern states, who were not exposed to as well as far removed from the locations of the National Convention sites and not financially able to attend.

These concerns were shared with a few other ministers, namely:

• Rev. J. D. Brown (Louisiana)
• Dr. Robert C. Williams (Texas)
• Dr. Elbert Williams (Mississippi)
• Rev. Dale Fontenot (Louisiana)
• Rev. Henry Johnson (Mississippi)

The initial meeting was held at the National Youth Convention in Washington, D.C. in 1986.

Since that time, the SIYC has been reformulated. The focus has broaded to include not just the youth, but to the entire family. It is for this reason our leadership has made the decision to change our name from "The Southern Interstate Youth Ministry" to "The Southern Interstate Ministries Conference (SIMC)".

Our prayer is that we will grow in the Lord and continue to make a stand to live for Him before our peers while simultaneously representing ourselves as “Radical Soldiers in the Army of God!”