History of Field and Regional Communication Teams

History of Field and Regional Communication Teams
2001: Bryan Bishop, the Director of YWAM's Research and Information ministry in Colorado Springs, USA, proposed the idea of Field Communication Teams to three of YWAM's Field Directors. All of the Field Directors encouraged Bryan to go forward with the idea. At the same time, three YWAMers in southern Africa, had the same vision, to see a team of people come together to serve YWAM Africa in the area of communication. Bryan teams up with these three people and together they propose the idea to YWAM's Field Director for Africa.

2002: In Pretoria, South Africa, YWAM's Africa Leadership Team commissions the first Field Communication Team. This team of three people opens an office in Cape Town and calls themselves AfriCom. They report to both the Africa Field Director and Bryan Bishop with YWAM International Communications.

2004: In Harpenden, England, at the first meeting for YWAM communicators (named "CRIT") called by YWAM's International Chairman, Lynn Green, AfriCom reports on their work. Several other communicators express an interest in starting Field Communication Teams in their part of the world. In particular, work begins in East Asia, South Asia and South America.

2005: With the encouragement of Tom Hallas], Bryan travels to Taiwan to meet with [[Don Gillman, leader of YWAM Taipei, to talk about forming a Field Communication Team for Asia/Pacific there. Two YWAMers who work with YWAM Taiwan, Sugi and Elva Mulyono, express interest in helping form such a team.

Due to the level of interest in various parts of the world, a Communication Teams meeting is held in Colorado Springs, USA, right before the second CRIT. About 30 people attend from many countries. One outcome: a Communication Team forms for South America, led by both Veronica Schaab and Eduardo Angelo. At the CRIT meeting which follows, Lynn Green asks Bryan to give a report on the Communication Teams meeting. The CRIT group embraces the idea, formulates Communication Team goals, and proposes that YWAM's Global Leadership Team (GLT) endorse these goals. Lynn agrees.

At the GLT meeting in Brazil, Bryan presents the Communication Team concept. The GLT adopts the Communication Team goals: by the 2006 GLT meeting, a communications person for every field and regional leader and transnational ministry; by 2007 GLT, a Communication Team for every YWAM Field; and by 2009 GLT, a Communications Team for every YWAM Region. They expand the goals to include a Communication Team for every major transnational ministry as well.

2006: At the next CRIT meeting in Harpenden, a Field Communication Team forms for Europe. Later that year, Jeff Fountain, the Europe Field Leader, and the four Europe Regional Directors commission the team. The team is led by Steve Keever.

2007: Bryan Bishop releases ownership of Com Teams from ICN Research & Information to hereafter be a YWAM ICN initiative. An international facilitation team forms for Communication Teams. The team is comprised of Paul Filidis, Rob Abraham, Bryan Bishop and Larry Wright. Larry Wright, Director of YWAM ICN in Colorado Springs, presently heads this group (which is also the leadership team of YWAM ICN). Also in 2007, Tom Hallas commissions Sugi and Elva Mulyono in Thailand to facilitate the formation of a Field Communication Team for Asia/Pacific.

At the CRIT meeting in Lonavala, India, two more Field Communication Teams form: one for Asia/Pacific, facilitated by Sugi and Elva Mulyono in Taipei, Taiwan; and one for South Asia.

2008: At the CRIT meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a Field Communication Team for Spanish-speaking South America forms, facilitated by Veronica Schaab, Michele Hernandez and Leda Romero.

An international leadership team forms to facilitate support and development of Communication Teams globally. The team is comprised of Bryan Bishop, Rob Abraham (Y360), and Miranda Heathcote.

2013: As of 2012 the YWAM ICN team has moved on to other ministry and is no longer serving YWAM's global communication needs. YWAM ICN has since re-branded as Y360.