YWAM History

Loren and Darlene Cunningham

Loren Cunningham founded Youth With A Mission in North America in 1960. His dream began with a vision – waves of young people moving out across the continents announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the whole earth. Decades later, Loren’s vision has grown into an interdenominational movement of Christians from around the world who are dedicated to presenting the Gospel to every generation around the world. 

The dream of seeing waves of young people going out with the Gospel has continued to grow. Having recently passed it’s 40th birthday, YWAM has established works in over 1,000 locations in over 160 nations. Each step of those 40 years has been filled with exciting adventure through learning to hear God’s voice and step out in faith. Thousands of young people have marched onto every continent sharing the Gospel and fulfilling the Great Commission. 

Over the years the concept of short-term missions has added huge numbers of workers to the task of world evangelization. Through the past years there has been an increasing commitment toward career missions. Short-term missionaries continue to go out, then recede like the waves of that early vision. Thirty thousand volunteered worldwide in a recent year in addition to more than two hundred thousand participants in short-term or specialized service.  

Loren and his wife Darlene press ahead for their lifelong goal: seeing the Gospel presented to every nation. While the growth and their dream have been phenomenal, they both realize it is still far short of all that God has put before them. For that to be fully accomplished it will take more miracles of multiplication. Many more spiritual battles, and an ever attendant ear to hear their heavenly Father say…

This is the way… walk ye in it. 

To read more about the YWAM story, order "Is That Really You God?" By Loren Cunningham.