Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 Page 38
it was neat to see the desire I had to have total dependency on God. I wish to have that
back. Strange, isn‘t it, to think of starting all over again. DTS was supposed to further my
relationship with God.‖ As we returned home to our families, we struggled to rebuild our
lives and put the YWAM experience behind us.
Was our experience isolated? For several months after leaving I believed so, and blamed
only the student leaders of my Outreach group for what had happened. They had been a
perfect example of how power can be abused. But as I recounted some of my experiences
to friends and family, I was often confronted with: ―Why didn‘t you say anything? You
shouldn‘t have let them get away with that!‖ My embarrassed reply was: ―We were taught
that criticism was wrong. We were taught ...Oh, you wouldn‘t understand.‖ As I listened to
their responses to my story, I recognized my own initial reactions to demands made of me
during the early stages of DTS. And the more I considered the logic of what my friends were
saying, the more I began to question the attitudes and ways of acting I had developed in
YWAM. Then I came upon an article about cults. There was something frighteningly familiar
about what I read. I sent a letter to a friend from DTS and included a description of Moonie
workshops where they recruit and brainwash participants. My friend thought that I had
written a description of the first three months of DTS, and she was shocked to learn that I
had been quoting from a book called The Moon Doctrine.1 I slowly began to realize that my
Outreach experience was the result of something more than just a few misguided leaders.
With great hesitation, I began to reconsider the wonderful, sacred months spent living and
learning at King‘s.
The major purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that there is something wrong with the
DTS program, that it breeds the type of environment that caused one girl from a different
Outreach group to break down in tears when her visiting mother said, ―I love you,‖ and
another student to escape to the airport to fly home. On the morning we fled in fear, one
girl wrote: ―Stayed up all night. So what? Thank God for my friends so much. Are you
wrong if you cry? Confused. Reality hurts. I‘m not clear, I‘m just so tired. Why? Why try?‖
I will not detail the events of Outreach because our team leaders were only fellow students
and did not necessarily represent YWAM‘s policies accurately. Elaborating the particulars
would only detract from the purpose of the paper. Instead, I would like to draw comparisons
and show similarities between cult mind controlling (brainwashing) techniques and the DTS
program instituted by YWAM. I hope that my criticisms have a constructive impact.
Personal Background
During my freshman year of college, I had grown increasingly dissatisfied with the direction
of my life. I desired to grow spiritually and serve God tangibly. As the end of the second
semester approached, I considered alternatives to college. A friend introduced me to YWAM
through a brochure he had received. In it I read.
If you are a person looking for a new dimension in your Christian life if you
are looking for a school that will not only teach you Godly principles, but
guide you into a consistent and effective prayer life, and show you how to get
the maximum in Bible study and meditation upon the word of God if you are
hoping, at the end of that time of training to develop a more effective
ministry, unique to your training and personality, as an individual created in
the image of God, then a Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School
(DTS) is for you. ‗Ibis six-month blend of life-changing instruction and
practical application in the Hawaiian Islands and Asia has proved to be a
revolutionary experience for many people just like you.2
I was psyched – ―This is just what I have been looking for!‖ I applied and was accepted.
it was neat to see the desire I had to have total dependency on God. I wish to have that
back. Strange, isn‘t it, to think of starting all over again. DTS was supposed to further my
relationship with God.‖ As we returned home to our families, we struggled to rebuild our
lives and put the YWAM experience behind us.
Was our experience isolated? For several months after leaving I believed so, and blamed
only the student leaders of my Outreach group for what had happened. They had been a
perfect example of how power can be abused. But as I recounted some of my experiences
to friends and family, I was often confronted with: ―Why didn‘t you say anything? You
shouldn‘t have let them get away with that!‖ My embarrassed reply was: ―We were taught
that criticism was wrong. We were taught ...Oh, you wouldn‘t understand.‖ As I listened to
their responses to my story, I recognized my own initial reactions to demands made of me
during the early stages of DTS. And the more I considered the logic of what my friends were
saying, the more I began to question the attitudes and ways of acting I had developed in
YWAM. Then I came upon an article about cults. There was something frighteningly familiar
about what I read. I sent a letter to a friend from DTS and included a description of Moonie
workshops where they recruit and brainwash participants. My friend thought that I had
written a description of the first three months of DTS, and she was shocked to learn that I
had been quoting from a book called The Moon Doctrine.1 I slowly began to realize that my
Outreach experience was the result of something more than just a few misguided leaders.
With great hesitation, I began to reconsider the wonderful, sacred months spent living and
learning at King‘s.
The major purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that there is something wrong with the
DTS program, that it breeds the type of environment that caused one girl from a different
Outreach group to break down in tears when her visiting mother said, ―I love you,‖ and
another student to escape to the airport to fly home. On the morning we fled in fear, one
girl wrote: ―Stayed up all night. So what? Thank God for my friends so much. Are you
wrong if you cry? Confused. Reality hurts. I‘m not clear, I‘m just so tired. Why? Why try?‖
I will not detail the events of Outreach because our team leaders were only fellow students
and did not necessarily represent YWAM‘s policies accurately. Elaborating the particulars
would only detract from the purpose of the paper. Instead, I would like to draw comparisons
and show similarities between cult mind controlling (brainwashing) techniques and the DTS
program instituted by YWAM. I hope that my criticisms have a constructive impact.
Personal Background
During my freshman year of college, I had grown increasingly dissatisfied with the direction
of my life. I desired to grow spiritually and serve God tangibly. As the end of the second
semester approached, I considered alternatives to college. A friend introduced me to YWAM
through a brochure he had received. In it I read.
If you are a person looking for a new dimension in your Christian life if you
are looking for a school that will not only teach you Godly principles, but
guide you into a consistent and effective prayer life, and show you how to get
the maximum in Bible study and meditation upon the word of God if you are
hoping, at the end of that time of training to develop a more effective
ministry, unique to your training and personality, as an individual created in
the image of God, then a Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School
(DTS) is for you. ‗Ibis six-month blend of life-changing instruction and
practical application in the Hawaiian Islands and Asia has proved to be a
revolutionary experience for many people just like you.2
I was psyched – ―This is just what I have been looking for!‖ I applied and was accepted.
