history of OM

OM traces its roots to the prayers of ordinary Christians. Such persistent prayer by a suburban housewife, Dorothy Clapp, led to a small revival in a high school in New Jersey, USA in the mid-1950s. Her visionary prayer was that God would not only redeem the lives of those students but also raise up a globe-spanning missionary force from among them. She supplemented her prayers with simple literature evangelism.

God responded to such faith. George Verwer was one of those students who dedicated his life to Jesus Christ as a result of reading a gospel of John given to him by the Clapp family. In Christmas 1957, George went to Mexico with two other college students in an ancient truck filled with Spanish Gospel literature. Behind them stood faithful supporters who prayed, financially supported and shared their vision. Lack of a precedent, ample resources or experience was more than compensated for by a radical faith in God's Word and a hunger for spiritual reality and practical discipleship.

Such simple beginnings have shaped OM ever since. Today over 4,000 OMers are working in more than 100 countries bringing God's unchanging truth to literally millions every year. Today it is easier than ever to begin or continue your journey of obedience and discovery with us. The great secret in missions today is that though God uses ordinary people, missions needs many more of them right now.

The 2000's will prove to be a decade of massive changes, and OM seeks to use every new challenge in the world to bring it the Gospel. Though OM is now approaching its 40th birthday, and decades of pioneer experience are evident in its leadership, OM's heartbeat will always belong to youth. In other words, there will always be a need for people of every age and talent in OM. But since the leaders of God's church in the 21st century are the students of today, OM's emphasis is on equipping young people to reach their peers all over the world. A summer, a year or two (we hope longer!) on an OM team can be an excellent investment in determining God's will for your life. Local churches with a vision for their young people often send them, individually or in groups, for training in OM.
Today it is easier than ever to experience and serve in missions. Whatever your abilities or availability, there is a place for you in OM. Creative new methods for evangelism and new areas of ministry are developing constantly. As new technologies increase in value within OM, so does the need for skilled personnel. But above all, we need people willing to learn and serve wherever the needs are greatest.