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Who We Are »
How Did It All Begin?
YWAM's links with England started in 1970, when a team came over from Switzerland
to do a Summer of Service. YWAM England was founded by Lynn and Marti Green
the following year, in response to the need for Western young people to be
given the opportunity to receive life-changing training.
YWAM England is part of YWAM
International,
an international, interdenominational Christian missionary organisation. YWAM
was born out of a vision from God given to Loren Cunningham, founder of YWAM,
in 1956:
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"Suddenly, I was looking 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 their 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 street
corners and outside bars. They were going from house to house.
They were preaching. Everywhere they were caring for people . .
."
–
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Excerpt from
Is That Really You, God?
by Loren Cunningham
YWAM Publishing, 1984 |
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YWAM was founded in 1960. Now, nearly half a century after that initial vision, YWAM has around 900 operating locations in over 160 nations, and more than 17,500 full-time staff, making it one of the largest missionary organisations in the world. We also train over 19,500 students a year, as well as having about 19,000 people involved in short-term work and outreaches annually. |
