The world’s largest Christian youth missionary organization, Youth With a Mission (YWAM), is facing allegations of spiritual abuse in a new investigation from The Observer.
The British publication alleges the ministry has significant safeguarding failures, regular occurrences of public shaming, forced rituals to “cure” homosexuality, and immense pressure to stay in the organization despite personal objections.
The Observer’s report, published on Saturday, is based on interviews of 21 current and former YWAM participants and missionaries, spanning the last 20 years across 18 countries.
It follows the publication of videos on social media four years ago by YWAM alumni, sharing their stories of alleged abuse by what were described as immature and controlling leaders. Those posts generated hundreds of comments by other former YWAM alumni, claiming similar abuse.
YWAM (pronounced “WHY-wham”) was first founded in 1960 by the late evangelist Loren Cunningham.
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It is a network of linked ministries who “seek to know God and make God known,” the ministry’s England branch said in a statement. YWAM operates in about 180 countries and has 15,000-20,000 people in mission training every year.
The organization has a decentralized structure, meaning it has no central organization or headquarters.
Responding to the allegations, YWAM England said in a statement: “Although most young people have had a very positive experience in YWAM, we are aware and deeply regret that some have had harmful experiences of spiritual abuse and manipulation. We recognize that abuse can occur in large and small organizations of all types.”
Missionaries allege being “traumatized”
The Observer’s report said young missionaries (often called YWAMers) were left “traumatized” by the ministry after experiencing controlling behavior and religious shaming. They described the organization’s atmosphere as controlling and “cult-like.”
Former YWAMers alleged that during training schools and overseas missions, leaders pressured them to confess perceived sins in group settings and face public humiliation for their sins. While some said they found the testimony nights to be cathartic, others described that they felt pressured to confess sinful thoughts.
In some instances, the YWAMers said they were subjected to rituals resembling exorcisms to “cure” them. There were multiple accounts of “healing” or “casting out” sessions to “banish the spirit of homosexuality” or other kinds of sexual immorality.
“We ‘prayed off’ all the demons and sin, and asked God to forgive them and make them whole again,” said a former British YWAMer who served at a base in South Africa.
The former missionaries alleged being shamed for any behavior deemed unacceptable, such as using Christian dating apps, which a leader allegedly described as “ungodly,” or wearing certain clothing. Women were told not to wear leggings or strapless tops to avoid “tempting men” and opening “a door to the devil,” the investigation reported.
In South Africa, one woman was allegedly chastised by leaders when they learned she was considering getting dreadlocks. Leaders reportedly told her via email that the hairstyle was connected to “rebellion, false worship, mind control, witchcraft . . . ostracization from society, destruction and death.”
Another ex-YWAMer said she had been pressured not to attend her grandmother’s funeral service by the ministry’s leaders because it coincided with a church service.
Leaders in Argentina told one former missionary that she could not leave the ministry without their blessing. They pressured her to stay, allegedly telling her, “If you go, you will fall into sexual sin.”
When the organization’s base in South Africa wanted to learn how to minister to the area’s red light district, she was reportedly sent in undercover as the partner of a man hosting a sex party. She was supposed to gather data on the sex trade and share the evidence with the police, she told The Observer.
Reflecting on it, she said, “There was also this element of, if you’re doing something that’s a bit scary and a bit dramatic, it’s seen as more radical. We were praised for it. But actually, what was radical about it? We were being so stupid.”
YWAM “grieved” to hear reports of shame
YWAM England responded to The Observer investigation the day after it was published.
Regarding the allegations of spiritual pressure, the ministry said it is “strongly opposed to pressured group sessions of public confession.”
It continued, “While confession of sin may occur, the person should never be publicly shamed or pressured to confess something or to apologize.”
While YWAM holds traditional Christian views on sexual morality and marriage, it said these beliefs should not be used for “humiliation, exclusion, or internalized shame.”
“We are deeply grieved to hear reports that spiritual practices intended for healing were instead used in coercive or shaming ways,” YWAM said. “We are grieved by reports of individuals who felt that their identity was treated as sinful or demonic, and we are reviewing how our teachings are expressed to ensure they reflect compassion, truth, and love.”
The ministry said that leadership styles vary in different cultures around the world, but YWAM has accountability globally “through a community of local leadership structures.” It stated there are “designated safeguarding leads” at work to ensure that safety is prioritized internationally.
YWAM said it recently closed one of its U.K. bases following allegations of spiritual abuse, the statement added.
“We want to emphasize our concern for those who have been impacted by negative experiences in YWAM,” the statement concluded. “We are especially grateful to the former YWAM members who have spoken up, even when it has been painful to do so. Your courage is helping shape the future of our movement and helping to inform our efforts and ensure we maintain our duty of care.”
Liz Lykins is a correspondent covering religion news for The Roys Report, WORLD Magazine, and other publications.
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16 Responses
Good to hear more and more people/publications are exposing YWAM. I started a group for spiritually abused in YWAM on FB which has 1,052 members from bases on all continents where there is a YWAM base. Many of the stories are much more horrific than mine was. NOTHING has changed since I was there for 12 years! I felt spiritually & emotionally dead by the time I left. There is NO accountability, though many have brought the abuse to their attention many, many times over the years! Many left their belief in God behind, when they left YWAM, sadly.
My sister and a lifelong friend spent years in YWAM. They and everyone else I know pronounce it “Y-wam,” without the “h.”
Wow, what a humble response by YWAM UK. And it appears they’ve already been taking action. Being so large and de-centralized, they can’t have a lot of control, but it appears they are not using that as an excuse and are going to work harder at this. They also expressed gratitude to whistle blowers.
Lydia, thank you for that comment! My thoughts exactly!!! We’re so used to deny, deflect, blame the accuser, give excuses, etc. That was sincerely refreshing to me and I was so thankful to see that. I am a former YWAMer, though I didn’t feel or see anything like this happen necessarily in my tenure/schools, I certainly believe it may have and definitely believe it happened in the years that followed me when I left in 1986. Many of our leaders were young and immature and not spiritually ready to lead. And beyond that, it did have some cult-like feel to me in some ways but I had a wonderful experience for the most part and I believe my faith grew so much and solidified my walk with Jesus. The most difficulty I have had in my faith lately is that many of the same ones I worked side by side with feeding people, loving on people, repairing homes and orphanages for people in Mexico and abroad, just doing excellent love care for God’s creation, are the same ones here in America that voted in DJT and the idol worship of our American president, which is contrary to everything I feel I learned as an early follower of Jesus and as a seasoned follower of Jesus.
I agree with your response here and you speaking to this. I’m glad YWAM is not dismissing this. And that the body of Christ not dismiss YWAM’s role in international evangelism. And we should as the body of Christ, be in agreement, that the act of public confession of sin, any form of coercion must stop. In such a huge organization you are going to have so many personalities and some being rogue, that individualism is going to have negative consequences at times. As the Bible says, “Zeal without wisdom”. Even showing poor judgment whether be comments about dread locks 🙄 or the stupidly dangerous work of undercover sex trade work!!?? I hope that was reported pronto at the time and dealt a heavy hand.
Truly sad learning about more issues across the board with YWAM whether in the USA or aboard. It’s scary to be reminded of the situations that have occured, are occuring and could occur in the future.
I sincerely wish YWAM would reconsider being a decentralized missions org, and how much pain and abuse it opens the door for, by their base directors /other volunteer staff in leadership that make their other volunteers feel as though they have no real voice in expressing concerns or challenging leadership for the right reasons.
No the heart of YWAM I can assure is not a cult.
If though for whatever reason you come under the fear of man from a leader who you feel is operating from an independent and unteachable spirit then yes heed the warning bells.
I am very grateful for the precious and fulfilling times I had in YWAM serving in Paris /France (8 years) and in Goulburn /Australia (2 years)… it was just the beginning of my faith journey in the eighties/nineties and I was so blessed to witness humble servant leadership and receive excellent biblical teaching that has given me the desire to please Him and walk ever more in the treasure of the fear of God. There was so much joy and of course deep fellowship and laughter around the table!
To reassure the doubters in my experience I never saw or witnessed a leader demanding loyalty or project that they knew it all.Often they would humble themselves for wrong calls made as they were not always right.. During my time in YWAM I personally felt a total freedom and “liberté to question things.No one made me feel that I was not good enough ,au contraire,I felt genuinely loved ,accepted and appreciated. Leaving the mission I never felt like I was cut off from anyone and no one made me fear going back into the “world “…actually far from it …I studied and became a nurse working with Aids patients in Paris over fifteen years and later became a professional chef / restauranteur now happily working in the city of London….and yes even today some of my dearest friends are active YWAMers living all over the world. …so “Go Ye”!
Stephen, it’s great that you had a great experience, but that doesn’t mean that other people didn’t have a bad experience. You didn’t see abuse, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t happening- abuse and coerscion are often such a part of the culture that those immersed in it don’t “see” it.
Stephen, the majority of people I have known who have had a YWAM experience saw it either as positive or neutral. However, I know a significant minority, far too many for a healthy organization, who have experienced long-term negative impacts from spiritual abuse from immature leadership and bad theology. The decentralized nature of the beast immunizes leaders from accountability. I did not see much in the article that gives me hope that there are significant changes ahead.
Why is the Roys Report passing on remote unverified stories from disgruntled people with a worldwide missions organization interviewed through an unbelieving worldly media source as if it should be believed at face value? What does unbelieving world media which favors immoral behavior know about casting out demons? This article is not an exercise in real journalism, but a mere spreading of salacious hearsay. Please stick to true investigative journalism which seeks to get real facts from first hand spiritually reliable sources, and which makes some kind of effort to discern between credible abuse allegations and mere charges of abuse by unspiritual aggrieved and offended people.
These are not “remote unverified stories” or “hearsay.” As the article states, the Observer’s report was “based on interviews of 21 current and former YWAM participants and missionaries, spanning the last 20 years across 18 countries.” Those are first-hand accounts gathered by a credible news source. And calling survivors of abuse “disgruntled people” is a very tired and common way to try and discredit people using name-calling. Please do better. Survivors deserve it.
Having been an avid weekly reader of the Roy’s Report for years, and having supported several students of YWAM until I learned of the spiritual abuse several years ago, I am thankful Julie Roy and her team are investigating this. It has for far too long has been under the radar with most of the church still believing it is a solid & safe ministry. It’s ties to Bethel & IHOPKC and NAR are finally coming to light.
I was in Ywam for 18 years, and I worked in Member Care for much of that. Almost every single one of the people I worked with via sabbatical coaching, burnout recovery or lay counseling experienced abuse from bases all over the world, including myself. The statement from YWAM England is, in my opinon and experience, unfortunately a gross overstatement of what has been done to make things healthy and bring accountability. Thanking victims for their bravery without actually helping them or doing anything to repair the damage is simply more image management. The Observer article was only the tip of the iceberg. Please keep investigating.
Core YWAM theology does not recognize the sovereignty of the individual. It requires it’s subjects to give up all rights. The sense of “self” must die to conform to the wishes of the leader. The concept of personal boundaries if a foreign one.
If you are going to go after YWAM, it is long overdue to deal with Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) for the same violations destroying so many who have suffered in silence for decades from their cult behaviors. Having gone on a one year mission to Micronesia 45 years ago with Campus Crusade and seeing horrific abuse and arrogance, with ZERO accountability, taking Christ out of the name of the organization was both prophetic and LONG overdue.
Although never a YWAMer, I have read enough testimonies from former YWAMers online, plus watched enough video/audio interviews of YWAMers to form the opinion that the decentralized administration and management formula of YWAM is not a bug, but a feature.
This decentralized approach insulates the leadership from accountability for the abuse committed by those who are leaders at various levels at the many bases, and enables this “just a few bad apples” rationale for the gross abuses reported by former YWAMers.