Is that really you, God? A vision in June of 1956 propelled 20-year-old Loren Cunningham, a university student from the US, to start a new missionary movement that would cover the whole globe in waves of young people preaching the gospel.
After spending part of his summer break in the Bahamas, Loren had an unusual experience. “I lay down on the bed,” he recalled, “doubled the pillow under my head and opened my Bible, routinely asking God to speak into my mind. What happened next was far from routine. Suddenly, I was looking up at a map of the world. Only the map was alive, moving! I sat up. I shook my head, rubbed my eyes. It was a mental movie. I could see all the continents. Waves were crashing onto the shores. Each went onto a continent, then receded, then came up further until it covered the continent completely. I caught my breath. Then, as I watched, the scene changed. The waves became young people–kids my age and even younger–covering the continents. They were talking to people on the street corners and outside bars. They were going house to house. They were preaching. ‘Was that really you, Lord?’ I wondered, still staring at the wall, amazed. Young people–kids really–going out as missionaries! What an idea! And I thought ‘Why did God give me this vision?’”
In 1960, Loren led a youth mission trip to Hawaii, where he developed more of the vision for this new missionary organization. The ministry would be focused on welcoming young Christians from any denomination to be trained and sent all over the world to work and preach the Gospel. This is how YWAM was born.
In 1962, Loren married Darlene, and by 1966 YWAM had grown to 10 full-time staff and attracted hundreds of short-term summer volunteers. In 1969, our first in-depth program (School of Evangelism) was held in Switzerland, which then became YWAM’s first permanent location.
In the midst of the Jesus Movement in the 1970s, a YWAM leader began a school focused on biblical foundations and character development as well as missions. It was called Discipleship Training School (DTS) - by 1980, YWAM had 1,800 full-time staff and had established Kona, Hawaii, as its headquarters.
The DTS has become YWAM’s flagship school and is divided into two unique terms that unify with the mission to know God and make him known. During Lecture Term, students spend 8-12 weeks diving deep into their relationship with God. Then students practically apply this on Outreach Term, another 8-12 weeks spent on location, preaching the gospel, bringing mercy to people in need, and making God known.
From a late-night vision given to a 20-year-old in the Bahamas to a global ministry with over 18,000 workers in 1,200 locations in over 180 nations, the story of YWAM is the story of God’s inspiration, God’s grace, and the creativity of the Holy Spirit’s leading. The heart of YWAM–to worship God, to serve God’s global purposes, and to champion young people–remains as strong as it was in the beginning.
– Filipe Arujo, YWAM Niagara Missionary
