By Amanda Boston
In the Gospel of Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus said to his disciples, “…the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” In metaphorical speech, Jesus instructs his disciples to pray to the Father for additional workers to assist with the spreading of the gospel of God. The ministry of Crossing Cultures International (CCI) was spawned out of this desire to glorify God through equipping and multiplying workers for the harvest.
Dr. David Nelson, the founder and president of CCI devoted more than a decade of his life as a church planter in the Philippines. He employed Jesus’ apprenticeship teaching method as the model as he trained pastors and church leaders. “I looked at how Jesus invited his disciples to follow him and how he was a godly example for them….We learn by being with other people and we see this throughout the entire Bible: Moses and Joshua; Elijah and Elisha; Jesus and his 12 Disciples; Barnabas and Saul; Paul, Timothy and Titus. They were all equipped in a growing relationship. So we took this model and started using it in our first church plant in the Philippines,” explained Nelson.
In nine months, the first class of three Filipino students sprouted into more than 20 different evangelical Bible studies throughout the town—from that point on, the multiplication factor continued. Nelson said, “I thought I was living through the Book of Acts.” From 2000 to 2015, 500 new churches were planted in the Philippines, India and Vietnam.
CCI uses Dennis Mock’s Bible Training Centre for Pastors (BTCP) curriculum, which consists of 10 courses, 520 hours of lecture time and 200 hours of reading through the Bible and homework. The heart of the ministry focuses on teacher-apprentice relationships while handling God’s Word with integrity and effectiveness.
In 2006, CCI was officially incorporated in Brandon. The ministry has expanded into 31 countries, trained 3,000 pastors and church leaders, and currently has more than 6,200 individuals in training. While CCI sustains notable global presence, it is not exclusively for church plants in underdeveloped countries. Throughout the United States, local churches partner with CCI to provide affordable and comprehensive training for its church leaders and prospective missionaries.
For additional information on Crossing Cultures International, please visit www.crossingculturesint.org or call the office at 217-5077.
