Overview of the Allegations

Youth with a mission (YWAM), one of the world’s largest Christian missionary organizations, is facing serious allegations of spiritual abuse and controlling behavior. These claims,brought forth by former young participants,suggest a pattern of harmful practices that have allegedly left individuals traumatized.

The allegations, spanning two decades, include instances of public shaming, attempts to cure homosexuality through rituals, and assertions that leaving the organization was against God’s will.

Confession and Control: Inside YWAM Bases

Former missionaries, many of whom joined during gap years, describe a culture of intense scrutiny and control. Key aspects of this environment include:

• Regular Confession Sessions: Young adults were allegedly pressured to confess perceived sins in group settings.
• Moral Transgressions: Confessions included homosexual thoughts,sexual activity,abortions,and pornography use,as well as disobedience and rebellious thoughts.
• Public Shaming and Punishment: Those who confessed faced questioning, public apologies, prayers, or removal from volunteer roles.
• Extreme Interventions: Some former volunteers described rituals resembling exorcisms to banish demons from individuals who admitted to premarital sex.

Experiences of former Members

One former British YWAM worship leader recounted a casting out at an Australian base after a man disclosed same-sex relations. Leaders reportedly laid hands on him and chanted prayers to banish the spirit of homosexuality, causing him to convulse. The worship leader, also struggling with his sexuality, felt as though a demon was living inside him.

Other former members reported disclosing experiences of assault, sexual abuse, and even minor infractions like speeding fines during these sessions.

Felicity Davies, 34, a designer from Yorkshire who spent six years in YWAM, described feeling suffocated and not good enough due to the purity culture and alleged controlling behavior at a base in South Africa. I constantly had to do certain things in order for God to love me or to be accepted, she said.

Lena Stary, 26, from Bristol, said her experience in Switzerland led to panic attacks and a prolonged struggle to trust others. I just found it so difficult to believe that God is a loving being if all of what I was being told was true, she stated.

Restrictions and Manipulation

The repentance and forgiveness rituals are allegedly part of a broader pattern of control, including restrictions on romantic relationships, clothing, and family visits.

Commands were often presented as direct instructions from God, allegedly used to manipulate individuals. One former missionary stated, Thay were always changing what other people wanted to do by saying: ‘I reckon, God is saying this.’ It was used to manipulate.

YWAM’s Response

A YWAM spokesperson stated the organization was heartbroken by the claims and deeply committed to the safety and wellbeing of everyone in its care. They acknowledged that some have had harmful experiences of spiritual abuse and manipulation and emphasized that each base is responsible for safeguarding, overseen by regional leadership teams.

YWAM England stated it was committed to continuous betterment in safeguarding practices and was strongly opposed to forced confessions. while confession of sin may occur, the person should never be publicly shamed or pressured to apologise, a spokesperson said.

regarding claims of spiritual abuse at a now-closed base in England, a YWAM spokesperson said leaders had implemented stricter oversight mechanisms. They affirmed YWAM’s customary christian views on sexuality and marriage but stated the organization was reviewing how it communicates these beliefs to prevent shame or rejection and condemned any practice that traumatized people or associated their identity with demonic influence. We are deeply grieved to hear reports that spiritual practices intended for healing were instead used in coercive or shaming ways, they added.

The Send UK & Ireland and Recruitment Efforts

The allegations surface as a prayer movement linked to YWAM, called The Send UK & Ireland, seeks to recruit the next generation of Christian missionaries. This initiative, controlled legally by the YWAM branch in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, aims to enlist 100,000 young british adults for missionary work both domestically and abroad.

Following a launch event at Ovo Arena Wembley, hundreds signed up to serve as missionaries through YWAM and other partner organizations.

Concerns About Oversight and Structure

The allegations, involving former missionaries across two decades and 18 countries, raise critical questions about YWAM’s culture and safeguarding practices. Critics point to the organization’s decentralized structure as a source of insufficient oversight, with important power deferred to leaders at individual bases.

YWAM operates discipleship training schools with a standardized structure across bases, featuring lectures on topics like sin, repentance and restitution, spiritual warfare, and discipling nations.

The University of the Nations, YWAM’s unaccredited christian university, lists any moral violation, including sexual immorality, as grounds for disciplinary action. Some bases specifically list fornication and homosexuality as immoral behaviors alongside incest and bestiality.

Past Controversies and Statements

In 2020, Lynn Green, a senior YWAM leader and founder of YWAM England, published a blog post urging repentance for ignoring the laws of God, blaming abortion and the homosexual agenda for bringing destruction. Green has stood by these comments,stating he seeks to approach these matters with both grace and faithfulness, while also condemning spiritual abuse.

Last year,YWAM’s base in perth,Australia,faced scrutiny over its handling of alleged historic sexual misconduct,including claims that leaders told alleged victims to apologize to their alleged attackers for leading them on. A YWAM Perth spokesperson stated that such comments do not reflect the views of leadership.

A YWAM base in the UK was recently closed amid claims of spiritual abuse.