Maranatha | Reggie Dupard | LaChanda Dupard

Maranatha Youth Ministries (MYM) is a non-profit organization serving youth and their families. MYM was formed in December 1996 by Reggie and LaChanda Dupard. After retiring from professional football, Reggie found that the youth in the church strongly appealed to him. He automatically evolved into their social mentor. The desire to minister to these youth burned within the Dupard's. Through much prayer, they were moved to form Maranatha Youth Ministries.

The word "maranatha" means "The Lord is Soon to Come". This term was often used in the olden days by church members when greeting one another. The Dupard's liked the meaning of this word, and quickly adopted it as the brand name for their ministry. "By incorporating youth into MYM, we are seeking to spread the gospel in a new way. MYM has established ways for the youth to use their minds and spiritual gifts to minister to people in need of salvation."

MYM and the Dupards are affiliated with the Southwest Region Conference of Seventh-day Adventist, and specifically are members of the Penuel Seventh-day Adventist Church located in Dallas, Texas.

Reggie Dupard

The son of a cement mixer raised in the projects of New Orleans, Louisiana, Dupard aspired to play professional sports. He felt this was his one-way ticket out of the ghetto. And play he did. By his senior year in high school, most of the "big name" colleges were offering scholarships for him to play for their team. He choose Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, attending August 1982 - May 1986.

In 1982, prior to launching his professional football career, Reggie met a very special lady that would become a permanent fixture by his side - the former LaChanda Fontenot. Because of her association with co-workers who were Seventh-day Adventist, Reggie would later be introduced to Adventism. He was eventually converted and they married in 1990.

Reggie's professional football career spanned from March 1986, where he was a first-round draft choice for the New England Patriots to 1990 where he played as running back for the Washington Redskins. Shortly after his conversion and marriage, Reggie retired from the National Football League (NFL) in 1991.

From August 1991 - July 1997, Reggie and LaChanda co-owned and operated the "Images of Color Fine Art & Custom Frame Gallery." A year prior to closing the gallery, Reggie decided to start Maranatha Youth Ministries and to return to SMU to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Psychology.