Belong
When you belong, you feel safe, welcomed, loved, valued, and accepted for who you are.
When you belong, you feel safe, welcomed, loved, valued, and accepted for who you are.
As you become secure in your identity in God, you find freedom and hope in who He has made you to be.
You are championed and released into your gifting and passions to impart the hope you have to others.
From here, you go on to impact the world by influencing the community and spheres where God has placed you.
The story of our YWAM base began in Christchurch in 1984 on Leinster Road. At its peak, the base had a staff of 50 who ministered around the South Island. The property was sold in 1989, and YWAM Christchurch continued to operate out of an office.
The heart of our current campus in Oxford is an historic parsonage built in 1870 for the nearby Anglican church. During the 1970s and 1980s, the house was called "Providence". The Trust that operated Providence was seeking how the property could be best used for the Lord’s work. God ordained a "chance meeting" at the back of a church in Christchurch between Providence Trust member Barry Inch and YWAM Christchurch leader Bob Scroggins. This led to the Oxford property being given to YWAM Christchurch in late 1991. In February 1992, the first DTS opened at YWAM Oxford. YWAM Oxford began with an act of faith and a gift of generosity.
In 1998, six years after the campus began, numbers of staff and students were dwindling and a new vision was needed. As leadership sought the Lord, He pointed them to Psalm 121:1 ‘ I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? It comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.’ As they looked at the beautiful hills and mountains that surrounded the location, the idea of a Snowboarding Discipleship Training School (DTS) came to mind. The "themed school" was birthed, and quickly multiplied into a fruitful and thriving school. The first school had eight students, followed by 13, then 25, then 36, then 38.
In the year 2000, a meeting was set between Loren Cunningham (YWAM International leader), Frank Naea (YWAM NZ leader), the trust and leadership of YWAM Oxford, and some of the past leaders of YWAM Christchurch. The meeting was to address the hurts caused by the selling of the YWAM property in Christchurch. The decision to sell the Christchurch property by the National leadership had been made to help clear debt, and it was felt that the local YWAM staff and associates in Christchurch had not been properly consulted on this. The meeting brought closure and forgiveness to those affected by the selling of the property.
The Lord then showed the leadership that the second part of this word ‘look to the hills’ was to be a summer school attracting backpackers and adventurers. In 2002, a summer school called the Backpackers DTS was born, and it grew even faster than the snowboarders school.
After this fresh beginning, other schools started to arise. In 2001, a Biblical Core Course (BCC); in 2004, the Around the World in 80 days (AW80) DTS; in 2009, the Father's Love DTS, Earthcare DTS, and King's Kids Ministry; in 2011, the Justice DTS; and 2012 the Climbing DTS. This was a very fruitful season of growth for the YWAM Oxford ministry.
There was a core remnant of Staff who carried the campus through the Covid season where the world was closed. The campus saw a huge change to the staff pool over that time. It is now refreshed and renewed after the difficulties of that season. We have a great new team leading out direction as we continue to pursue God's heart for the nations in the support of a community that grows, challenges and supports each other to seek more of him and let others know!!
The campus has had a number of leaders since its inception. These include Bob Scroggins (USA) 1991-95, Louis Lemmons (NZ) 1995-97, Boyd Henderson (NZ) 1998, Chris Donaldson (NZ) 1998-2010, Jeremy Slough (USA) 2010-2013, and James Smith (Australia) 2013-2018. Our current team leadership is directed by Mike and Fe Brown (NZ) 2018 - present.
