EMQ » January–April 2024 » Volume 60 Issue 1
Summary: To say Loren Cunningham reshaped missions is not an overstatement. It’s a fact. From the vision of waves turning into young people on every shore, to the last catalytic call to see every native tongue have an oral translation of the Bible, Loren was a man who loved the Lord and inspired peoples from every nation to join in on the adventure of God.
By Charis Jackson and Lynn Green
In the wake of Loren Cunningham’s death, it’s hard not to reflect on the life of a man who reshaped the way we do missions. That’s not some grandiose posthumous comment, it’s a fact. Countless upon countless lives have been impacted and changed because of this one man’s “yes” to God’s giant dreams.
Looking at my (Charis's) own life, there isn’t one aspect that hasn’t been formed or affected by “Uncle” Loren’s global movement – Youth With A Mission (YWAM). As a third-generation YWAMer,[i] it’s in my DNA. Because of him, I’ve experienced a vibrant community of believers from all walks of life and cultures going anywhere and everywhere, and not a mission environment of strict rules where only specific people had the opportunity to go.
But what exactly did Loren do that was so transformative to how we do missions, today?
