Mission
Training Leaders International exists to:
- Send pastors, professors and graduate students for the equipping and training of church leaders around the world
- Serve as a sending agency for those interested in theological education around the world
- Start schools in the places where formal theological education is lacking.
Vision
Training Leaders International seeks to meet the growing need for theological training overseas. With the rapid expansion of Christianity in the Southern and Eastern Hemisphere, coupled with the challenges many Christians face worldwide, the church lacks well-trained teachers where they’re needed the most.
Training Leaders International intends to play a unique role in addressing this problem. We seek out future evangelical scholars who are training to receive their Master of Divinity, Master of Theology or doctorate and pastors with little cross-cultural teaching experience. Those who are chosen are mentored and sent to different locations around the world to teach in settings where there is a need for theological education. It is our hope that they will be significantly used by God to strengthen national churches, leaders and missionaries through faithful and culturally relevant teaching of God’s Word. It is also our hope that they will gain a heart for theological training no matter what field they enter after graduation. Credentialed leaders mentor these teachers, helping them with their lessons and their mindset as they minister in a cross-cultural context. Each teacher will take two trips accompanied with their mentor, with the mentors providing feedback before, during and after each trip. This will give students the opportunity to gain an appreciation for the nuance and sensitivity needed in different cultures. Every trip is done at the request of, in cooperation with, and in submission to local national leaders, theological institutions and churches.
Out of these short-term trips have come long-term commitments. Training Leaders International also serves as a sending agency for those interested in teaching overseas. This could be in a formal or informal education setting. Those we send are taking through a process to help prepare them for teaching in a different culture and are cared for by mentors in the US and abroad.
The commitment to theological education has led Training Leaders International to explore the possibility of starting schools in places where formal education is lacking. The schools can either be stand alone Bible Schools or training centers, or they can be seminaries within a local church.
Values
Serve
Training Leaders International does not wish to start new ministries, but aid the local church in meeting needs as they perceive them. We serve local churches, denominations and missionaries who see this ministry as an effective way to meet the lack of theological teaching. We serve under the direction of national pastors. We hope to not only train local leaders, but also refresh and encourage missionaries who are unable to experience this kind of training.
Learn
Teaching goes both ways. While Training Leaders International seeks to meet the need for theological education, there is clearly much to be learned from pastors who have cared for their people over a long period of time. We hope that teachers who travel to various places around the world will learn from the very pastors they have been sent to teach.
Empower
Training Leaders International will teach local pastors with the idea that they will in turn be able to train others. When enough leaders are trained, the frequency of visits from Training Leaders International can diminish, and new areas can receive training.
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