World Team USA, Inc.

The information on this page was last updated 10/18/2024. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


Summary

World Team USA is part of a global, non-denominational mission agency that equips and sends church planting teams to serve unreached people groups. We respond to the work of God's grace in our lives by proclaiming the gospel of hope in word and deed. We seek to bring lasting spiritual and physical healing to individuals and the communities in which we live.

Church planting is a marathon, not a sprint. We invest in prayerful research and team training before beginning each new field ministry. Wherever possible, we partner with other like-minded agencies and local efforts so that we work in collaboration for greater impact.

From the start, we aim to equip local believers to become the leaders of new churches, with a vision of seeing each one reach out and multiply. We provide ongoing leadership mentoring and training, especially in areas where the church may be young and facing rapid social and economic changes.

World Team has more than 200 years of combined global mission history between two agencies which merged in 1995. Regions Beyond Missionary Union (RBMU) was founded in 1873 by the Irish revivalist H. Grattan Guinness. World Team, originally West Indies Mission, was formed in 1928 in central Cuba by Elmer Thompson and B.G. Lavastida.

Today, World Team has more than 305 workers serving in 28 countries across the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Our passion is making disciples among unreached people groups and bringing them into community so that churches are planting churches until all nations have been reached.


Contact information

Mailing address:
World Team USA, Inc.
1431 Stuckert Rd.
Warrington, PA 18976

Website: www.us.worldteam.org

Phone: (215) 491-4900

Email: [email protected]


Organization details

EIN: 591759927

CEO/President: Kevin Oessenich

Chairman:

Board size: 10

Founder: Elmer Thompson and B.G. Lavastida

Ruling year: 1978

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 09/30

Member of ECFA: Yes

Member of ECFA since: 1987


Purpose

Our Vision: Innovative teams multiplying disciples and communities of believers, bringing the Gospel within reach of lost people everywhere we go. Our goal is to make disciples and equip the local church to grow and multiply. We do this by sharing the hope of Christ in word and deed.


Mission statement

To glorify God by working together to establish reproducing churches focusing on the unreached peoples of the world.


Statement of faith

We affirm:

SCRIPTURE: that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the written Word of God, verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit, without error in the original manuscripts, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. II Tim.3:14-17; II Peter 1:20,21; Ps.19:7- 12.

GOD: that there is only one true God, eternally existing in three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - equal and harmonious in every respect, yet distinct in relation to the divine functions. God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Jn.8:12-59; 14:8-17.

PERSON OF THE FATHER: that God the father is the sovereign, holy and merciful Lord who judges righteously, and who in love pursues the redemption of His fallen creation. Ps.139; Isa.40; Jn.3:16-21.

PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST: that God the eternal Son became a man through the virgin birth, uniting perfect deity and true humanity in one Person forever. His virgin birth was a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. He lived a sinless life, was crucified, rose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven as Lord of all. He now intercedes for believers and will return personally and visibly to receive them, to establish His Kingdom and to rule in righteousness and peace. Matt.1:18-25; Jn.1:1-18; I Cor.15:1-8; Col.1:15-23; Heb.4:14-16; Rev.19:11-20.

PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: that God the Holy Spirit glorifies the Father and the Son in all that He does, not calling attention to Himself. His work includes convicting and regenerating sinners, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ at the time of regeneration, living in them, enabling them to live a life of obedient faith, equipping and empowering them for service and witness. Eph.5:18-21; Gal.5; Jn.14-16; Rom.8.

HUMANITY: that God created man and woman in His own image, and they became separated from God through their disobedience. Consequently every human being is born a sinner, unwilling and unable to please God. Therefore even those who have never heard the truth about God and His provision for salvation are lost. Gen.1-3; Rom.3,4.

SALVATION: that eternal salvation is wholly a work of God. God, out of His abundant grace, forgives sinners when they repent of their sin and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died for them and rose from the dead. Jesus assumes their punishment for sin, credits His righteousness to those who believe, and brings them into relationship with God as His children. Rom.5; 10:8-10.

SANCTIFICATION: that believers are declared holy in standing before God, on the basis of the finished work of Christ. However, until they are glorified, when they will be with the Lord, they are to grow in godliness as they submit to Christ's lordship, live in Christian community and are filled (controlled and empowered) by the Holy Spirit. II Peter 3:14-18; Rom.8:28-30; Heb.10:10; Eph.5:18.

THE CHURCH: that the church universal as the body of Christ is under His Headship and is composed of all believers. It is made visible by local communities of believers organized for corporate worship, edification, fellowship, and the continuation of Christ's mission on earth. God gives spiritual gifts and leaders to the Church for its edification. The two God- ordained symbolic rites of the Church are believers baptism and the Lord's supper. Matt.16:18; Eph.3:8-11, 20-21; 4:11-16; Matt.28:19; Luke 22:19.

RESURRECTION: that there will be a final bodily resurrection of all persons: believers will be raised to eternal life and conscious fellowship with God; unbelievers will be raised to eternal punishment and conscious separation from God. Eccl.12:14; Dan.12:2-4; I Cor.15; II Cor.5:1-10.

SATAN AND SPIRITUAL CONFLICT: that Satan and other fallen angels are real, have personality, and are enemies of God and destroyers of men. While they were defeated at the cross and are limited in operation, they still engage in spiritual battle against God's people and against His purpose until the final day of judgement. Through Christ believers can live victoriously in this struggle with the forces of evil. Eph.6:10-18; 2:1-3; Heb.2:14-18; James 4:6-7.

MISSION: that Christ commissioned the Church to communicate to all people by verbal witness, godly living, and acts of compassion, the Good News of God's redemptive love and provision of salvation. It is the solemn responsibility of all believers to work with Christ in fulfilling the commission of making disciples among all peoples. Matt.28:16-20; Acts 1:6-11.

Donor confidence score

This organization does not file a Form 990.

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Transparency grade

D

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Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Foreign Missions

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Financial ratios

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Financials

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Compensation

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The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 10/18/2024. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

Worldteam was formed in 1928 as a small Bible Institute in central Cuba by Elmer Thompson and B.G. Lavastida. The following is a chronicle of where Worldteam missions has ventured over time:
Cuba -1928,
Haiti - 1936,
Dominican Republic -1939,
Jamaica - 1945,
Guadeloupe - 1947,
from 1949 to 1957 the Mission opened work in the English- speaking islands of St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago,
Suriname (Dutch Guiana) - 1955,
South Brazil - 1957,
Italy - 1970,
Spain - 1972,
France - 1979,
Worldteam Associates was formed in 1980,
London, England - 1985,
French Guiana, South America - 1986,
Southeast Asia - 1993.
Merger with RBMU International 1995.

RBMU International traces its roots to Harley Bible College in London, founded in 1873 by the Irish revivalist H. Grattan Guinness. Regions Beyond Missionary Union was birthed-along with many similar agencies--as a spontaneous response to the evangelical awakenings during the second half of the 19th century. The following is a chronicle of developments and events in the history of RBMU International:
1878 - The Livingstone Inland Mission,
1888 - The Congo Balolo Mission,
1900 - India,
1906 - South America,
1908 - Retrenchment,
1916 - The Peru Inland Mission,
1939 - RBMU is re-established in North America,
1948 - Borneo, Indonesia,
1954 - Dutch New Guinea, Indonesia,
1954 - The United Mission to Nepal,
1977 - North American RBMU becomes independent from the UK,
1981 - The Philippines entered by North American RBMU,
1982 - Chile,
1982 - 'Hidden People',
1985 - Cameroon, West Africa.

In June 1995, Worldteam and RBMU International merged to form World Team.


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