Mission, Vision, & Values

  • To see cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ experience effectiveness, endurance, and personal vitality. 

  • To serve mission boards, churches, and other sending agencies by developing and equipping their long-term cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    • Relational vitality with Jesus

    • Team

    • Integrity

    • Quality and Excellence

  • We believe:

    • The Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.

    • That there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

    • In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

    • That for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

    • In the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

    • In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

    • In the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

    • That Christ commanded the church to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, baptizing and teaching those who believe..

Our programs are immersive—participants come and live in a community with other cross-cultural workers going to the field, or returning, for the duration of their training. A major make-or-break issue for cross-cultural workers is unhealthy relationships or unresolved conflict on their own team, or family. MTI’s interactive community-enhanced training focuses on creating strong team relationships and living in a healthy Christian community. This experience of living in true Christian community shapes each person individually, creating an internal desire to replicate that community wherever they go.

Life-sharing Community

Missionaries need practical tools to help them thrive long term. The tools we provide—in language acquisition, communication, and leadership—help to shift the paradigm of each participant. Many arrive with idealistic expectations and need to understand the reality of the difficulties they will experience and how to navigate them effectively. By the end of the program, they have a quiet confidence that comes from realistic expectations and a framework for how to live and serve well for the long haul.

Paradigm-shifting Tools

These three dimensions of our programs work together in powerful ways to prepare you to fulfill your calling and thrive in long-term ministry.

We do not simply provide skills, we deal with heart issues. How do you deal with conflict? How do you react when things do not go as planned? Have you developed healthy attitudes and behaviors personally and within your family? These questions, and many others like them, must be addressed in order to succeed long term. We help singles and families confront brokenness and find healing in a safe place, inviting them into an ongoing process of formation and freedom. This allows them to truly live the message of hope and transformation found in Christ, which will lead to effectiveness and thriving in ministry.

Heart-healing Process

The Foundation of Mission Training International

Mission Training International began in the hearts of Phil Armstrong, R.E. Thompson, and Clyde Taylor and was incorporated as Missionary Internship in Michigan in 1954. The following year 30 adults completed the first internship session.

The ministry focused on preparing applicants for ministry work in new cultures . The goal was to introduce them to skills that would help produce effectiveness, endurance, and personal vitality as they prepare to serve cross-culturally.

Important Milestones:

  • 1961: God provided a beautiful 26-acre wooded site in Michigan. This property included residences for staff and participants, a dining hall, nursery, and classrooms.

  • 1965: Over 1,000 missionaries had completed the program.

  • 1973: MTI switched from an 11-month program to a 10-month program. This included a 3-week pre-field orientation, followed by a 7-month internship.

  • 1975: The first program preparing to help participants to learn language, called PILAT, was offered under Dwight and Barbara Gradin.

  • 1996: We moved to Colorado Springs and coined the name Mission Training International.

Today, MTI partners with more than 100 agencies and has served over 50,000 cross-cultural workers. We continue to focus on preparing and caring for individuals, couples, and families for healthy cross-cultural service. We are thankful for the role that we have in carrying the Gospel around the world and excited to serve those the Lord brings to us in the future!