YWAM Under Fire For ‘Shaming’ Christians Who Confessed to Homosexualy, Other Sins
YWAM (Youth with a Mission) is facing allegations from secular papers that they’ve been traumatizing and shaming students over their sexual sins, with a new investigation by ‘The Observer’ detailing a laundry list of “spiritually abusive and controlling behavior” by the storied Christian organization.
Founded in 1960 by Loren Cunningham, YWAM’s mission is to “know God and make Him known.” It is an interdenominational and non-profit organization that operates in over 200 countries, pioneering short-term missions with a heavy charismatic emphasis. Ministry Watch notes:
“(It comprises of) some 20,000 workers in hundreds of independent ministries operating from some 1,000 bases in about 200 countries. Over the years, some four million people have been through YWAM’s 12-week Discipleship Training School, the first step in working with the organization, which pays no salaries.
But unlike other evangelical ministries and mission agencies, YWAM isn’t incorporated and lacks a central organization or headquarters. It has no president, board of directors, fundraising department, or annual reports. It has no communications team to gather and convey information to donors or the media, hence the frequent use of words like “some” in the paragraph above.”
According to the Observer, this is where many were “victimized.”
The allegations span two decades and include claims that young missionaries were publicly shamed, subjected to rituals to “cure” their homosexuality, and told that leaving was against God’s will.
Young British adults who signed up for training schools and overseas mission trips – many during their gap years – described regular confession sessions where they were pressured to admit their “sins” in a group.
These included perceived moral transgressions such as homosexual thoughts, sexual activity, abortions and watching pornography, as well as other “sins” such as disobeying a leader or having “rebellious thoughts”.
Those who confessed could be questioned and made to give public apologies, according to former missionaries. They could be prayed for or could face punishment, including being removed from volunteer roles. In some cases, interventions were more extreme. Former YWAM volunteers described the use of rituals similar to exorcisms to banish demons from people who acknowledged having sex outside marriage.
YWAM England has responded to the allegations, writing in a statement that they are “deeply sorry to anyone who has experienced harm while being part of YWAM. No one should suffer spiritual abuse, coercion, or psychological distress in a faith-based community.”
While noting that “YWAM England holds to traditional Christian views on marriage,” they also insist that they “affirm the dignity and worth of every individual” and that “We do not condone any practice that results in humiliation, exclusion, or internalized shame.”
They reveal that they 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.” Their statement further reads:
We unequivocally condemn any form of coercive or shaming group practices, including public confession sessions that have been reported at some YWAM locations. While personal confession is a part of Christian practice, it should always be voluntary and respectful. Any practice that pressures individuals to disclose trauma or shame them publicly is wrong. We do not condone so-called “healing rituals” that harm or stigmatize, and these have no place in YWAM England.”
YMAM England says that they have reviewed all their safeguarding practices and governance and have “strengthened” their polices and training in accordance with the Independent Safeguarding Service CIC.
About Author
“As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” – 1 Tim. 5:20
Issue #1, as to the complaints. That scripture does not mean to publicly interrogate or falsely accuse. It means there must be evidence of persistence in sin, by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Issue #2, as to the response. The organization’s response is essentially perversion of the grace of God into a license for sin, and is nowhere near in line with scripture.
When there is unrepentant persistence in sin, the proper process prescribed by scripture makes matters more and more public the longer the individual refuses to repent. For example, in Matt. 18:17, when Jesus says to tell it to the church upon the third refusal to repent, the word there is “ekklésia”. It refers to the entire church body. In other words, tell it to the entire church. You might first tell it to the pastor in private, giving the unrepentant individual, but the general pattern is followed, to make the matter more and more public. That’s not only not wrong. It is exactly what we are supposed to do.
Neither “side” of this seem to give a hoot what the scripture says about anything at all. As if any human being could possibly know what’s loving and caring to any degree remotely close to that which God knows, much less more than God knows.
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.” – 1 John 5:2
In other words, what’s wrong is not the public shaming, but why and when and how there is to be public shaming. There must be solid evidence of sin, and there must be persistent refusal to repent. Then when it reaches the point, over a period of time of continued refusal to repent, where scripture essentially tells us to publicly shame (call to repentance that is), we should do what the scripture says to do.
And when we do so, our eye should not pity (Deut. 19, etc.)
The process prescribed by scripture must be followed, so that we ourselves take care not to sin. False accusation is itself a very serious sin. There must be clear evidence, and repeated refusal to repent.