Let’s review/refresh our list of those who provide generic pre-field training to missionaries heading overseas — and let’s add any training agencies outside the USA, if they exist. We’re not talking about specific training (in TESL, or Bible translation, or church-planting or CHE or agency-specific candidate schools), but rather, generalized training in how to understand yourself, how to cross cultures, and how to learn another language.
The granddaddy of them all (longest in business) might be Missionary Training International. Learn more about them at…
Located near Colorado Springs, they have a great training site (foothills of Pikes Peak and the Rockies), an experienced staff, a strong set of “customers” (meaning you’ll have great interaction with classmates and possibly form lifelong friends). On the flipside, they’re often booked (filled) far in advance and some might say they’re rates are rather strong.
Close behind them would be the Center for Intercultural Training, on the web at…
They’re situated in Union Mills, North Carolina (between Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina). In their favor is the fact that they work closely with MTI (in fact, some MTI instructors have guest-taught often at CIT), so their training is similarly taught with experience and depth. Some have said their training is seemingly more biblically-centered (but that’s probably a subjective call?). They might be a shade less expensive, and they also might have a few more openings more often. Balancing these pluses might be the fact that, well, it just seems they’ve never quite been able to get past the fact that people are always comparing them to MTI! People who attend CIT generally seem to come away with a positive report; people who decide to attend MTI instead sometimes report that they feel better-trained. ???
In Joplin, MO, you’ll find a third option, Train International. Find them on the web at…
In their favor is the fact that they are quite a bit less expensive, with even more availability, generally, than CIT. For many in the “middle” of the USA, it might cost less to travel and stay there. And don’t underestimate the adjunct faculty. Many are incredible people with tons of experience and lots of heart. However, realize that they have very few FULL-time trainers. Nearly 100% of their trainers do something else for a living and help at Train when they can, if that matters to you. Also, the class size might not be as large (meaning you might not have quite the multitude of new lifelong friends). However, remember that — because class size is smaller, you just might receive more personal attention, too.
Are there others? If so, please click “Comment” below the web version of this item. Please ESPECIALLY highlight international training locations.
Hi all – OM (Operation Mobilisation) has several training schools and they have also been around forever. I went thru the training 20 years ago in Pretoria, South Africa. That one is still running and half of the peoiple on it are international folk because they love the cross cultural missions exposure that they get. We also have another training school in Zambia which is longer i think. And i am sure there are others. Contact your nearest OM office.
You can find out more about the Missions Discipleship Training done by OM South Africa at
http://omsouthafrica.org/get-involved/missions-discipleship-training.html
Many OM fields also have their own specific training required before joining the organization but that is not normally seen as general pre-field training that is available to anyone.
To contact your closest OM office for other options, you can find them at http://www.om.org/en/contact
Disclaimer: I serve with OM Ships and of course, while not exactly pre-field training either, our one- or two-year program is a fantastic way for people to get a taste of multicultural missions and has helped launch many into longer term ministry – http://www.omships.org
“let’s add any training agencies outside the USA, if they exist”…
If they exist?!
Surely, surely, you don’t really think that there are possibly no training agencies outside the USA?
Sorry Neil… my life normally runs at 100mph. If this came across as condescending, I deeply regret it and beg your forgiveness. I’m really just trying to get the information out on the table where we can all access it. Honest — no harm intended.
The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) has offered our TCK-PFO for educators and boarding home personnel since 1987. Thousands have attended since then. The TCK-PFO open to all is held at Houghton College the last week of June and first week of July each year. Developed originally as a joint project of ACSI, MTI, and Interaction International (Dave Pollock), this program specifically prepares international educators and boarding care providers. We focus on understanding the TCK, body life in the international context, understanding cultural differences and adjustment, and exploring the instructional implications of the multinational school setting. Graduate credit is availablle through Asbury Univ. and Cairn Univ. From http://www.acsi.org, click on Events and then Global Events.
I did my pre-field training at MTI and even with a B.A. in missions found the training to be helpful! After 17 years on the field receiving new missionaries, I am now a facilitator at CIT. I love having the chance to watch God at work in the lives of missionaries! If you work with missionaries, please don’t send them without good training first!” There are many other good training centers around the world, but most are designed to train the locals to go out from where they are.
Global Frontier Missions has a five month program in Atlanta and Houston where you get missions training in a classroom context and then go out and hit the streets ministering among Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.
Cornerstone Biblecollege for Mission Training in the Netherlands. It offers a one and a two year program with an intercultural focus. I’m from Germany and did the two years program. I recommend to every missionary to do at least a year of training in a mission focused Bible School. That’s what you find on the webpage http://cornerstonecollege.eu/index.php :
“a Bible college committed to training people for cross cultural missions.
Do you have a desire or a call to share in fulfilling the one ‘Great Commission’ that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to His church? Then make sure you prepare well, as it is an exciting as well as serious task. Cornerstone is geared to give you specialized, biblical and practical mission training.
Don’t just jump into mission. Take a deep breath, pick up speed and then jump.”
There are lots of schools out there. Here are a couple of well known schools:
Worldview in Australia: http://www.worldview.edu.au/
Cornerstone in Netherlands: http://www.cornerstonecollege.eu/
EastWest in NewZealand: http://www.eastwest.ac.nz
MTC LatinoAmericano in Brazil: http://www.mtclatino.org.br/
Gateway Training in Canada: http://www.gatewaytraining.org/
El Monte in Mexico: http://www.elmontemexico.com/
WEA lists many more schools on their website: http://www.worldevangelicals.etdi.org/
The Evangelical Training Directory aims to list all evangelical missionary training bodies worldwide. This directory project is endorsed by the World Evangelical Alliance.
Here is a pre-selected search for Mission and Evangelism:
Mission Training Search
This can be further refined online for the following areas:
Bible Translation
Church Growth and Development
Church Planting and Multiplication
Cross-Cultural Mission and History
Evangelism and Apologetics
Internet and Broadcast Evangelism
Language Learning Methods
Ministry to Non-Literate People
Missionary Team Care and Skills
Short-Term Mission
Tentmaking and Self-Financing Skills
The database of the Evangelical Training Directory is the same as the WEA site kindly mentioned by Roland Muller above at http://www.worldevangelicals.etdi.org/.
If any mission training organization has not already registered, please register here now. Thank you.
Dont forget Beautiful Feet Boot Camp! 20 years of training missionaries for many mission agencies, offer intense crosscultural training for the whole family, including a children’s boot camp that runs concurrent with the adults, preparing them for this new adventure that God is calling the whole family into. It is interdenominational, from emergent to Weslian, Baptist to Vineyard. The training is focused on practical skills, students live among refugees, work among the homeless and girls caught in the sex trade and attend class for 6 months in Oklahoma City, before heading overseas on a four month internship. Upon Graduation they are ready for placement with their mission agency! Classes start every July.
http://www.beautifulfeet.us
I’m biased but I think the best pre-field training in how to understand, assimilate into, and communicate into a different culture is provided by WorldView Institute in Portland, Oregon. Originally designed by Dr. Donald K. Smith (who started DayStar University in Kenya), it is continually developing.
http://www.iiccworldview.org/worldviewinstitute.html
I wanted to add my last name so nobody would think that the current director of WVI had posted this :-)
It would be wonderful if all missionaries could take several months to get away and train for their missions. This used to be the majority method when agencies sent out folks. But today there are hundreds who go into missions either from a BAM placement or without the financial means to spend months or money at such formal training.
As a missions coach, both pre-field and on-field, I’ve found personal missions coaching to be an efficient, affordable, and extremely personalized method of discipling missionaries (and churches) before they go and as they go.
While there are missions coaching agencies, such as Sixteen:Fifteen (http://www.1615.org/), there are also individual coaches such as myself (web address private due to nature of clientele). We all work to train, develop, and install missions and missionaries. Please don’t overlook mission coaching’s contribution to mobilization and training. Thanks! :-)
My latest resource list of this sort included the following five groups… now I think I’d better check out some of the others that have been mentioned. Thanks for the helpful commentary!
– Missionary Training International in Colorado
– Mission Prep in Toronto
– TRAIN International in Missouri
– Center for Intercultural Training in North Carolina
– Institute for Cross-Cultural Training at Wheaton College in Illinois
You might also include groups like TOAG (http://toag.net/) and Launch Communities with Every Ethne (http://www.everyethne.org/). These are 10 month internship/programs that someone does in community…so they are a little different.
A new training center, Radius International, has just graduated the first class from the year long intensive located in Tijuana, Mexico. Radius has a focus on language, culture and worldview acquisition with practicum in the surrounding community. In addition to the necessary knowledge base taught, key skills and character development are integrated into the program. The training outcomes are focused on pioneer church planting in Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist settings and urban ministry areas.
You’ll find more information at radiusinternational.org
Wow — you guys have turned this into a great thread. I’m telling you — this kind of synergy is priceless. Thanks for the time you’ve all taken to pitch these into the mix. I would have never known them all by myself – but the Brigada audience is amazing. New item coming this weekend highlighting the offerings you’ve uncovered.
OSCAR offers generic, cross-cultural orientation training around the UK (and beyond, if asked!).
We focus mainly on cross-cultural adaptation and offer it for those departing the UK or coming to the UK for ministry.
See http://www.oscar.org.uk/training