Youth With A Mission and the spread of an evangelical missional ecumenism

Drawing from the early history of the influencial post-war missionary movement Youth With A Mission, or YWAM, this paper explores how YWAM’s global diffusion and general success came from their creation of an evangelical missional ecumenism. Emerging from within the Assemblies of God, YWAM originally attracted young Pentecostals to join their work of world evangelization and mission. YWAM’s vision to mobilize and send youth as missionary evangelists extended to young people from, a posture that increasingly led to collaboration with the world’s Christians. This paper highlights the transnational relationships, partnerships, and networks central to YWAM’s global growth during the 1960s. This growth and YWAM’s enduring influence in global Christianity and world mission was made possible through increasing types of evangelical cooperation and an expanding, albeit limited, form of missional ecumenism.