Christian missionary group accused of shame and public rituals to “heal” sexual sin | Christianity

The largest Christian missionary organization of young people in the world faces allegations of spiritual abuse and behavior of control of young people who say they have been “traumatized”.

A Observer The investigation revealed evidence of the safeguarding of failures within young people with a mission (YWAM), a world movement which forms young Christians to spread the Gospel. A spokesperson for Ywam said that the organization had been “broken heart” by the affirmations and was “deeply attached to security and well-being” of all its care.

The allegations cover two decades and include that young missionaries were publicly ashamed, subject to rituals to “heal” their homosexuality and said that the departure was against the will of God.

Young British adults who have registered in training schools and mission trips abroad – many during their years apart – described regular confession sessions where they were forced to admit their “sins” in a group.

These included perceived moral transgressions such as homosexual thoughts, sexual activity, abortions and observation of pornography, as well as other “sins” such as disobeying a leader or having “rebellious thoughts”. Those who admitted could be questioned and obtained to give public apology, according to former missionaries. They could be asked for or could face a punishment, especially in summer withdrawn from volunteer roles. In some cases, the interventions were more extreme. Former Ywam volunteers described the use of rituals similar to exorcisms to banish demons who admitted to having sex outside marriage.

Another former British head of worship of Ywam described a “cast” in a base in Australia, arranged after a man revealed that he had sex with other men. The leaders put their hands on him before singing prayers to “ban the spirit of homosexuality”, and he would have been convulled. The British man himself had difficulties with his sexuality and said that he felt as if a “demon” lived in him.

Others have described how people have revealed victims of sexual assault or abuse, as well as transgressions such as the speed of fines.

The rituals of “repentance and forgiveness” would be part of a wider image of control in certain bases, which also included restrictions on romantic relationships, clothes and when missionaries could visit the family.

Orders were often communicated by leaders as if they were instructions from God. “They always changed what others wanted to do by saying,” I think God said that. It was used to manipulate, “said a former missionary.

YWAM operates in around 180 countries and sends around 25,000 people in short -term missions each year. It was founded in 1960 by the American missionary Loren Cunningham and had key bases in the United States, Australia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, where it is a registered charity.

A spokesperson for Ywam England said he was determined to “continue to improve safeguard practices” and that each location was responsible for maintaining standards. He said he was “strongly opposed” to forced confessions. “Although the confession of sin can occur, the person should never be publicly shameful or forced to apologize.”

In 2021, the Ywam base in Perth, Australia – one of the largest in the world – was examined against its management of alleged historical misconduct, including affirmations that its leaders told the alleged victims to apologize to their pretenders for “having led them”. A YWAM base in the United Kingdom has recently been closed among the affirmations of spiritual violence.

The allegations come as a prayer movement linked to Ywam – which aims to recruit the next generation of Christian missionaries – sweeps Great Britain.

The Send Uk & Ireland, an initiative of a coalition of Christian groups, which is legally controlled by the Ywam branch in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, was launched with a show last July to Ovo Arena Wembley. He has since organized pop-ups in churches and concert halls across the United Kingdom.

Its objective is to recruit 100,000 young British adults to carry out missionary work in the United Kingdom and abroad and reverse the trend in the decline of Western missions.

After the Wembley event, hundreds of people registered via the QR code to serve as missionaries via YWAM and the other partner organizations of Send.

The allegations, made by former missionaries whose experiences extend over two decades and 18 countries, raise questions about culture and safeguarding within Ywam, which has a decentralized structure which, according to criticism, leads to insufficient surveillance. The organization exploits the power of leaders on the basics of the whole world, who say they take the safeguard seriously.

Ywam has underlying statements of principles and directs disciples training schools that have a similar structure in all bases, with conferences on subjects such as “sin, repentance and restitution”, “spiritual war” and “discipline nations”.

The Code of Conduct for the University of Nations, the non -accredited Christian University of Ywam, which oversees Ywam training schools, known as “any moral violation”, including “sexual immorality”, is a reason for disciplinary measures. Other bases list fornication and homosexuality such as immoral behaviors alongside incest and bestiality.

In 2020, Lynn Green, one of the highest leaders of Ywam and founder of Ywam England, published a blog article urging the human race to “repent for having ignored the laws of God”, blaming abortion and “homosexual agenda” to “bring destruction”.

Felicity Davies, 34, a designer from Yorkshire who spent six years in Ywam after joining at the age of 18, said that “culture of purity” and alleged control behavior in a base in South Africa had left him “suffocated” and “not good enough”.

“I have constantly had to do certain things to make God love me or be accepted,” she said. “People must be aware that it is not a pleasure. Many people are traumed. “

Lena Stary, 26, from Bristol, who joined Ywam at the age of 18, said that her experience in Switzerland had left her suffering panic attacks and had taken years to unravel. He had made “very difficult to trust others”. She is no longer religious. “I just found so difficult to believe that God is a loving being if everything that told me was true,” she said.

A spokesperson for Ywam said: “Although a high number of individuals had a positive experience in Ywam, we are deeply aware and regret that some have had harmful experiences of spiritual abuse and manipulation.” They declared that each base was responsible for the backup and was held in its accounts by management teams supervising specific regions.

In England, a spokesperson for Ywam said that leaders had “implemented stricter surveillance mechanisms” after the affirmations of spiritual abuse in a base that has since closed its doors. They said that Ywam had “traditional Christian opinions on sexuality and marriage”, but examined how he communicated these beliefs to prevent “shame or rejection”, and that he condemned any practice that traumed people or associated their identity with demonic influence.

“We are deeply afflicted to hear relationships according to which spiritual practices intended for healing were rather used in a coercive or shameful manner,” they said.

Green supported his comments on abortion and homosexuality and said that he had sought to tackle questions “with grace and fidelity”, adding that he, “like others in Ywam”, condemned any form of spiritual abuse.

A spokesperson for Ywam Perth said that any comment that an alleged victim had “led” his alleged aggressor or was to apologize to them did not reflect the opinions of leadership.