YWAM Los Angeles has many ministries and programs that span the globe. Our 70+ full-time staff are active and always pushing the envelope of cutting-edge ministries.
YWAM Los Angeles functions under a team leadership dynamic. This allows for effective shared responsibility, wisdom in multiple counsel, spiritual authority and protection. Dave Gustaveson is the present base director, and together the team provides leadership on a day-to-day basis while department heads provide leadership for specific ministries.
Director YWAM Los Angeles
 |
Dave Gustaveson I am the director of Youth With A Mission, Los Angeles, and reside in Lake View Terrace with my wife Debbie and two daughters, Jamie and Katie. I have been involved with YWAM for over 30 years, and have a passion to see young people experience the excitement of world evangelism. I’m also the director of the Global Target Network, a ministry that mobilizes YWAM alumni and local churches for world evangelism. |
Leadership Team Members
|
|
Nigel Burmester I work in the accounting department. I come from England, where I attended my Discipleship Training School in 1991. After two years with YWAM New York I joined the Los Angeles base in 1993. I am married to Megan and we have two boys, Aidan and Kieran. |
 |
John Davidson I was born in Heidelberg, Germany. My YWAM history started 26 years ago in Hawaii where I stayed for 7 years, after that I’ve called Los Angeles my home. I have traveled with teams to 60 nations, led five bicycle evangelism teams in China. My passion is to train young leaders and go with them to the Nations. |
|
|
Bernie Budnik In 1990, after a business career in main frame computer sales, Bernie and his wife Jan joined YWAM. Jan and Bernie have been married for 53 years and have raised seven children. They were both born in Montreal, Canada and immigrated to the U.S. in 1955. At first they lived in Detroit, and then in 1967 moved to Southern California, where he currently resides. |
|
|
Lisa Jones I’m originally from sunny Southern California. Before becoming a part of YWAM, my life was like the old Harrison Ford movie, The Fugitive. Now I live on campus with my son, Reid, and our pet gecko. I have served here for 5 years, founded the Freedom Project, and I love urban ministry! |
|
|
Corrin Brown My name is Corrin Brown. I am a native New Yawker who has served YWAM for nearly five years. I have traveled to 16 countries spreading the gospel. Before that I was aiming to be your morning news anchorwoman but the Lord changed my direction. My deepest desire is to mobilize the Black church into missions. |
|
|
Ylva Wikstrand I’m a native of Sweden. I did my DTS here in the fall of -91 escaping the wet season in Sweden. New years day of 1993 I flew over here to become staff for one year, and I’m still here! My passion is using technology for God’s purposes. Some of the things I work with are GENESIS, web, computers and special projects. |
 |
Karisse Schilling I grew up in Florida and then ventured across the country in 2001 to do my DTS here in Los Angeles. I have been a part of YWAM ever since. I've travelled all over the world with DTS students and love watching God radically work in their lives. I'm passionate to see God's people hear the cry of the oppressed and move toward action on their behalf. I love DTS because it is a time set apart to seek God, learn about who He is and what is on His heart; encountering Him causes a change in us. |
 |
Conrad Kusel
|
