Youth With a Mission (YWAM), the world’s largest Christian youth missionary organization, is facing serious allegations from former volunteers who accuse it of using controlling and humiliating practices, including rituals aimed at "curing" homosexuality and sexual sins.
An investigation by The Observer has revealed troubling testimonies of forced confessions, public shaming, and psychological manipulation spanning more than two decades.
YWAM, which operates in around 180 countries, prepares young Christians to spread the Gospel.
The organization has already denied the allegations, with a spokesperson expressing heartbreak and commitment to the safety of its volunteers.
"We are deeply committed to the safety and well-being of all those in our care,” the spokesperson stated.
The accusations include reports of public shaming, forced confessions, and coercive "healing" rituals, some of which allegedly aimed to “cure” homosexuality. Former volunteers described group confession sessions where young missionaries were pressured to admit perceived sins such as homosexual thoughts, sexual activity, abortion, or viewing pornography. Those who confessed were reportedly interrogated, publicly shamed, and sometimes removed from their volunteer roles.
In some extreme cases, rituals similar to exorcisms were conducted to expel “demons” from individuals who admitted to premarital sex or other sins.
One British leader described witnessing an exorcism at a YWAM base in Australia after a man confessed to having sex with other men. The ritual involved chanting prayers to “drive out the spirit of homosexuality,” leaving the man in convulsions.
Other testimonies mention the psychological toll such practices took, with some former missionaries describing panic attacks and long-term trauma.
“I constantly had to do certain things for God to love me or for me to be accepted,” said Felicity Davies, a former YWAM volunteer who experienced suffocating control at a South African base.
YWAM has defended its practices, saying that while confession of sins is part of the organization’s faith-based approach, no one should ever be publicly shamed or pressured to apologize.
The organization has faced previous scrutiny, particularly regarding how it handled allegations of sexual misconduct at its Perth, Australia base.
Last year, the base was criticized for allegedly advising victims to apologize to their abusers. Furthermore, a YWAM base in the UK was recently closed over similar spiritual abuse allegations.
