Our
History
Our story is somewhat complex as it is actually the story
of three ministries:
Youth With A Mission,
started by Loren Cunningham in 1960, Sea & Summit Expeditions,
started by Robin Wainwright in 1969, and Youth With A Mission – Bishop,
started by Harold Cluff in 1991. We are proud of each of these aspects,
and of all the staff and leaders that contributed to making us who
we are today.
Youth With A Mission
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In 1960, a
young Loren Cunningham had a dream one night of the world
where he pictured the continents being overrun with waves.
The waves transformed into youth until the whole earth
was covered. These youth were to carry the Good News of
Jesus to every person on earth, and in ever growing numbers.
Soon after this dream, Loren founded Youth With A Mission
(YWAM), and was shortly there after joined by his wife
and our co-founder, Darlene Cunningham. Though YWAM’s
fulltime staff remained small in the first decade, they
recruited many short-termers and impacted many people and
nations. By the 1970’ and 1980’s, we were into
full swing as a mission, carrying the Good News in many
forms of evangelism, training, and mercy ministries, and
had shared in every nation on the planet. YWAM has truly
become an international mission with over 20,000 fulltime
staff from every nationality, over 1000 operating locations
worldwide, and an achievable vision to reach and transform
the lives of every person on earth. Click here for more
information on YWAM. |
Sea & Summit Expeditions
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Robin & Carol
Wainwright had a tremendous concern for troubled youth,
as
well as a deep passion for God’s creation and outdoor adventure. In 1969,
they experimented with taking such kids out of the city and seeing what three
weeks of backpacking and climbing in the Sierra Nevada would do. From this powerful,
life changing trip, Sea & Summit Expeditions was born in Santa Barbara, California.
After several years of growth and tremendous success in the lives of so many
youth, Sea & Summit went through several changes of leadership until Will & Millie
Toms began directing the program at the end of the 1970’s. They began to
diversify and reach adults, as well as youth, from many different backgrounds
and with many different needs. In 1996, Will & Millie passed on the leadership
of Sea & Summit and moved to the Hopi Reservation in Arizona where they founded
YWAM – Tribal Winds, a critical outreach to Native Americans, and where
they work to this day. |
Youth With A Mission – Bishop
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When
Harold and Barbara Cluff purchased Cardinal Village Resort
in the 1980’s, high in the Sierra Nevada near Bishop,
CA, they had a desire to see youth trained and discipled
in these beautiful mountains. After several years of running
camps and retreats for local kids and adults, they founded
YWAM – Bishop as an operating location of the larger
parent organization of YWAM. Through the 1990’s they
were involved in many ministries, from Discipleship Training
Schools, to Kings Kids Go Camps, to pastors retreats, to
outreaches in such locations as Mexico, Croatia and other
places locally and around the world. In 2001, the operations
of the base moved 20 minutes down the road into the city
of Bishop. After many years of inspired service and impacting
countless lives, they retired from leadership in 2004. |
Three Ministries Become One
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Many
years before resigning from Sea & Summit Expeditions
in Santa Barbara, California, Will and Millie had the
foresight to see that a ministry tool as powerful as
outdoor adventure could impact people well beyond the
boundaries of California and the United States. Through
God’s leading, they brought Sea & Summit Expeditions
under the covering of YWAM in 1992, and founded YWAM – Santa
Barbara. David and Diane Fairley joined them in 1994,
and two years later they were placed in leadership as
Will & Millie moved to Arizona. David and Diane have
worked for many years to align Sea & Summit with
the vision of YWAM, as well as the specific vision David
carried for this program. A part of that God given vision
was to operate out of Bishop, California, so in 2001
they moved the program to Bishop and came under the covering
of YWAM – Bishop and the Cluffs. At that time,
Sea & Summit Expeditions became the primary ministry
of YWAM – Bishop. Hal and Barbara passed on the
leadership of the entire organization to David & Diane
upon their retirement in 2004. Today, the Fairley’s
and all of their co-workers are pressing forward to make
YWAM – Bishop / Sea & Summit Expeditions a
leader in national and international outreach and training
for the world of Christian outdoor adventure ministries.
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