DARLENE CUNNINGHAM was born in Vancouver, Canada to Pastor Ed and Enid Scratch. From an early age, she was aware of a distinct calling from God on her life. The course of that call became clarified forever when she met a handsome, single young man-with-a-vision named Loren Cunningham.

After marrying Loren in 1963, she helped co-found the international mission organization, Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Darlene is a "prime mover" in YWAM in the areas of facilitation of vision and leadership development. One of her greatest heart motivations is to discover leadership giftings in young men and women and help them to reach their full potential in God.

Darlene directs one field-based Leadership Training School annually or biennially, held on location somewhere in the developing world. Darlene is uniquely qualified and experienced to give leadership to those within Youth With A Mission because she understands the lifestyle, pressures and joys of the Mission from an inside perspective. Whatever the context, she constantly points the hearer to God's faithfulness in every situation, and His great grace. Loren and Darlene live in Kona, Hawaii.