Mission Training International 
The information on this page was last updated 8/18/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Mission Training International has been developing and equipping cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel through training and debriefing since 1954.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Mission Training International
PO Box 1220
Palmer Lake, CO 80133
Website: www.mti.org
Phone: (800) 896-3710
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 381452052
CEO/President: Jeremy Lowe
Chairman: Mrs. Terri Watson
Board size: 9
Founder: Mr. R.E. Thompson
Ruling year: 1957
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 05/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1988
Purpose
Mission Training International's vision is to see cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ experience effectiveness, endurance and personal vitality. MTI accomplishes this through two main programs: Compass and DAR.
Doing cross-cultural ministry is difficult and requires more than a sense of calling. It requires a broad set of skills and a healthy approach to life and ministry. A large majority of cross-cultural workers aren't adequately prepared for their calling, which leads to frustration, burn-out, or more destructive patterns. This is where MTI can help. For 60 years, MTI has been providing relevant, practical, in-residence training on the make-or-break issues that help make cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel more effective. There are three dimensions to our unique approach to training:
Life-sharing Community
Our programs are immersive-participants come and live in a community of 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, which means engendering depth and vulnerability in relationships and resolving conflicts when they arise. This experience of living in true Christian community shapes each person individually while also creating an internal desire to replicate that community wherever they go.
Paradigm-shifting Tools
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.
Heart-healing Process
We do not simply give 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.
These three dimensions of our programs work together in powerful ways to prepare you to fulfill your calling and thrive long-term in ministry.
Mission statement
MTI's Mission is to serve mission boards, churches, and other sending agencies by developing and equipping Cross-Cultural Messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Statement of faith
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.
Donor confidence score
This organization does not file a Form 990.
Show donor confidence score detailsTransparency grade
C
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Evangelism Support
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 708 of 1115 | 20 of 35 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 423 of 1116 | 13 of 35 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 460 of 1116 | 14 of 35 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 1031 of 1115 | 32 of 35 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 6% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 98% | 40% | 32% | 32% | 30% | 31% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 2% | 60% | 68% | 68% | 70% | 69% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 84% | 86% | 87% | 89% | 86% | 89% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 97% | 101% | 101% | 96% | 100% | 95% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 81% | 87% | 88% | 85% | 86% | 85% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 3% | -1% | -1% | 4% | 0% | 5% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 3% | -1% | 0% | 2% | 0% | 3% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 12% | 13% | 11% | 10% | 13% | 10% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.23 | 0.54 | 0.59 | 0.57 | 0.60 | 0.59 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.33 | 2.61 | 2.62 | 2.81 | 3.34 | 3.53 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.70 | 1.42 | 1.56 | 1.62 | 2.01 | 2.09 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 35.34 | 6.74 | 4.29 | 4.72 | 4.75 | 3.48 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.03 | 0.15 | 0.23 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.29 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.59 | 7.21 | 5.91 | 5.86 | 4.71 | 4.09 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 7% | 7% | 9% | 8% | 6% | 8% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 78% | 172% | 154% | 161% | 155% | 155% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Cash | $1,770,113 | $1,801,837 | $1,644,248 | $1,291,505 | $1,213,973 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $32,717 | $54,877 | $69,490 | $98,837 | $124,477 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $1,802,830 | $1,856,714 | $1,713,738 | $1,390,342 | $1,338,450 |
| Long-term investments | $210,000 | $210,000 | $210,000 | $210,000 | $210,000 |
| Fixed assets | $2,696,356 | $2,801,637 | $2,894,337 | $3,038,326 | $3,181,676 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $2,906,356 | $3,011,637 | $3,104,337 | $3,248,326 | $3,391,676 |
| Total assets | $4,709,186 | $4,868,351 | $4,818,075 | $4,638,668 | $4,730,126 |
| Liabilities | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $78,291 | $63,162 | $33,941 | $36,353 | $48,276 |
| Other current liabilities | $189,389 | $369,339 | $328,755 | $256,078 | $336,045 |
| Total current liabilities | $267,680 | $432,501 | $362,696 | $292,431 | $384,321 |
| Debt | $39,207 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $39,207 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $306,887 | $432,501 | $362,696 | $292,431 | $384,321 |
| Net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Without donor restrictions | $4,345,562 | $4,378,924 | $4,393,751 | $4,315,665 | $4,275,678 |
| With donor restrictions | $56,737 | $56,926 | $61,628 | $30,572 | $70,127 |
| Net assets | $4,402,299 | $4,435,850 | $4,455,379 | $4,346,237 | $4,345,805 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Total contributions | $998,186 | $926,393 | $920,276 | $832,511 | $903,427 |
| Program service revenue | $1,414,156 | $1,856,872 | $1,862,067 | $1,917,382 | $1,949,463 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $43,130 | $26,288 | $22,668 | $19,726 | $22,017 |
| Other revenue | $66,002 | $60,562 | $72,481 | $27,962 | $72,291 |
| Total other revenue | $1,523,288 | $1,943,722 | $1,957,216 | $1,965,070 | $2,043,771 |
| Total revenue | $2,521,474 | $2,870,115 | $2,877,492 | $2,797,581 | $2,947,198 |
| Expenses | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Program services | $2,188,891 | $2,520,438 | $2,451,447 | $2,406,819 | $2,501,414 |
| Management and general | $324,975 | $328,410 | $284,511 | $355,336 | $267,839 |
| Fundraising | $41,159 | $40,796 | $32,381 | $34,994 | $32,923 |
| Total expenses | $2,555,025 | $2,889,644 | $2,768,339 | $2,797,149 | $2,802,176 |
| Change in net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($33,551) | ($19,529) | $109,153 | $432 | $145,022 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($33,551) | ($19,529) | $109,153 | $432 | $145,022 |
Compensation
Compensation data for this ministry has not been collected.
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 8/18/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Mission Training International began in the hearts of Phil Armstrong, R.E. Thompson, and Clyde Taylor. In 1954, Missionary Internship was incorporated in Michigan. In 1955, 30 adults from five mission sending agencies completed the first 7-month internship session.
The unique focus of Missionary Internship grew from the concern for young missionary applicants that were well qualified academically, but had little practical experience in church work and were not prepared to thrive in a new culture. The goal of this new organization was to reduce the rate of first term drop-outs by offering internship experiences that provided practical training in ministry and preparation for the stresses and adjustments of living and working in a different culture.
In 1961, God directed Missionary Internship to a beautiful wooded site on the outskirts of Farmington, Michigan. On the rolling, heavily-wooded 26 acres, a campus was erected with residences for permanent staff, motel-type accommodations for participants in the various MI programs, dining, nursery, classroom and office facilities adequate for new program development to better meet the current needs of missionaries.
By 1965, 1,000 missionaries had completed MI's program. In 1973, a 3-week pre-field orientation course was offered along with the 7-month internship program. Then, in 1975, the first PILAT (Program in Language Acquisition Techniques) was offered under the supervision of Dwight and Barbara Gradin.
By 1985, over 7,000 missionaries had completed training through MI. In 1992, MI moved from Michigan to Colorado Springs, CO. In 1996, MI became Mission Training International. By 2001, MTI had recognized the need for a campus that would better fit training needs and built a new training center in Palmer Lake, CO.
In 2013, MTI combined the two pre-field programs (SPLICE & PILAT) into one 4-week Compass program.
Mission Training International continues today at the forefront of missionary training. We are unique in the Christian community in that our focus remains exclusively on preparing missionaries and their families for cross-cultural life and ministry. Our nonformal approach is experience and affective-domain based and serves as the bridge between formal education and life as it is lived in another culture.
Over and over through our history, God has provided and directed MTI in powerful and practical ways. We are honored to serve the thousands of cross-cultural workers that have been through our programs over the years. In the future, we will continue to follow God's leading in how to improve our programs so that the Gospel can be spread effectively around the world by people who have been truly transformed by its power. That is the only legacy we desire.
Program accomplishments
Mission Training International serves over 150 different interdenominational mission agencies and sending churches. The number of missionaries and their families that participate in MTI training programs continues to increase. The worldwide effects of MTI programs are exciting.