- Camden Pruett, a 12-year-old preacher from Rigby Idaho, shares Bible-centered videos.
- His YouTube channel, Camden the Preacher, has nearly 500 subscribers and growing.
- Camden, diagnosed with autism, finds purpose in spreading messages of love and peace.
RIGBY, Idaho – Camden Pruett has caught the spirit of God, and his online audience has felt it.
The young preacher regularly posts short, 5- to 10-minute Bible-centered videos focused on bringing people to Christ. His YouTube audience — about 500 followers — is slowly growing.
Camden, 12, came up with the idea for his online ministry mostly on his own after watching other preachers on YouTube.
"He said, 'Dad, could I do that?'" His father, Greg, said.
Greg said it was the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump that got his son "hyperfocused" on spreading a message of love and peace to his online followers.
Beyond his regular YouTube sermons, Camden has no problem taking his message to the streets. One video shows the young preacher holding placards on street corners, and last month, Camden spoke at the Idaho Falls memorial for Charlie Kirk, the political activist killed in September at Utah Valley University.
With nearly 200 videos now posted, Camden gets plenty of support for his ministry from online commenters, local church leaders and his family.
For Christmas last year, Camden found an official podium under the tree. The addition is now an integral part of his short online messages, joining the signature whiteboard that includes notes, lesson outlines, and sometimes hand-drawn illustrations.
"We just tell him to keep going," Greg said.
The subject matter for each lesson comes from Camden himself. He spends a great deal of time reading his Bible and even encourages family members to study with him.
"He's keeping us on track," Greg Pruett said.
The Pruetts have five children, two of whom have been diagnosed with autism, including Camden, who appears to thrive by creating and posting his videos.
"Autism kids can go from being angels to the opposite," said Greg Pruett, who doesn't push his son to post videos, but allows him to decide when he's ready to record another video.
As a family that attends church regularly at their Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward in Rigby, the Pruetts are used to watching their son bear his testimony at monthly fast and testimony meetings.
The 12-year-old recently gave his first sacrament meeting talk at church, presenting it in the same high-energy style he uses on his YouTube channel, according to his father, who explained that Camden had been asking his family and ward leaders for months when he could speak in church.
Camden said he gets ideas for his videos from his regular scripture study, as well as from thoughts that pop into his head.
"I'm in the book of Exodus," said Camden, who is reading the Bible straight through. However, his presentations include other references to holy scripture, including the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants.
The Camden the Preacher YouTube channel has just under 500 subscribers, "most of whom are supportive," Greg said. However a few leave some comments that are pointedly critical.
