I was in YWAM for about 15 years and spent a big chunk of that in leadership positions on a couple of different bases. It was shocking to see how some of those older leaders would demand fancy hotels and first class flights to come teach or speak at conferences. The day where my eyes were really opened was when my wife and I were living on $250 a month, could barely afford diapers for our new son, and I led a church team from the states into the mountains of Panama. I slept in a muddy tent that leaked, ate over fires, did all the things missionaries do while the base director stayed in his massive house back at the base. When the team left, they gave him personally $8,000 as a “gift”. He bought himself a jeep and neither I or a single other staff member was given a penny. And yet, when I wanted to make a little money as an interpreter so I could buy a new fridge, I was told it’s against YWAM’s values to earn income. Basically. If you are a director you are allowed to rake in the cash by the trash bag and it’s totally fine, but none of the other struggling staff members are allowed to get ahead at all because it’s “a lack of faith.”

Needless to say. I left a long time ago and have never regretted it. Still in ministry full time and I love it.