Mission control

Intimate group confessionals, strict rules on obedience, 'healing rituals' to drive out homosexuality: former members of the Christian group Youth With a Mission tell Shanti Das how they were seduced by its promise of serving God - and why they ended up leaving

- Shanti Das

One Sunday last summer, 5,000 young people packed into the Wembley Arena for a "mass gathering of gen Z Jesus followers".

They danced to Christian rock, hugged, wept and sang. Between performances, charismatic leaders proclaimed something "huge" was afoot.

"Tonight kicks something off," said Andy Byrd, a leader of Youth With a Mission (YWAM). He told the crowd they were witnessing a "spiritual awakening". Soon, the UK would send out "thousands of missionaries" to preach the name of Jesus - and "see every tribe, tongue and nation worshipping before the throne".

The event, called The Send, was a hit. Hundreds of attenders scanned a QR code committing to devote their lives to Jesus. Some poured into London and preached to passengers on the tube.

The organisers of the event say it heralds a new era for the UK. Since Wembley, pop-ups from St Albans to Sheffield have recruited more people to the cause. "What we're seeing - [our generation] have never had this. It's one of those history-making moments," a Send volunteer said.