Seventh-day Adventist leaders signed a memorandum of understanding on May 30 to establish the Intercultural Mission Training Institute (IMTI) at the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) in Trinidad and Tobago. It is expected the institute will be a missionary preparation center designed to equip workers for cross-cultural service around the world.
Signed during the Intercultural Mission Church Planting Summit at USC, the agreement establishes the university as a regional hub for intercultural mission education within the Inter-American Division (IAD). The initiative brings together the IAD, Caribbean Union Conference (CARU), USC, the Middle East and North Africa Union Mission (MENAUM), Middle East University (MEU), and the General Conference’s Global Mission Training Center to expand collaboration in global evangelism and cross-cultural ministry.
Church leaders said the initiative represents a historic step for the IAD as it seeks to strengthen its role in preparing and sending missionaries for service both within and beyond its territory.
A Legacy of Mission Preparation
Church leaders noted that the new institute builds on decades of missionary preparation within the Adventist Church.
Addressing delegates during the ceremony, Oscar Osindo, associate director at the Institute of World Mission, reflected on the church’s commitment to preparing workers for cross-cultural service, noting that the General Conference (GC) established the Institute of World Mission in 1966 to equip missionaries for service around the world.
Osindo described the launch of IMTI as a historic step in strengthening the church’s preparation of missionaries for cross-cultural service.
Leaders said the new institute represents the first initiative of its kind in the IAD dedicated specifically to intercultural missionary preparation in partnership with the world church’s global mission structures.
The partnership reflects the Inter-American Division’s Mission Refocus initiative and its growing emphasis on global mission outreach.
“This agreement demonstrates that mission is bigger than geography,” said Abner De los Santos, president of the Inter-American Division. “God is calling Inter-America to participate in reaching the unreached. Through this partnership we are intentionally preparing missionaries who can build relationships, understand cultures, and share the love of Christ in meaningful and transformative ways.”
De los Santos said the initiative also supports the division’s Mission Refocus strategy and encourages members to move beyond traditional ministry boundaries into cross-cultural mission service.
A Hub for Global Mission Training
Church leaders said the USC was selected for its experience in intercultural ministry and its engagement with diverse communities across Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname.
They added that the CARU territory offers future missionaries valuable opportunities to gain practical cross-cultural experience before serving internationally.
The institute’s initial focus will prepare workers for service in the Middle East and North Africa Union Mission, which spans 19 countries and territories.
Based at USC, the institute will operate in collaboration with the Global Mission Training Center, USC’s School of Theology and Religion, MEU, and other mission partners. Organizers expect the first training cohort to begin between June and August 2027.
Under the agreement missionaries and volunteers will complete an intensive training program focused on culture, history, worldview, and cross-cultural communication. Participants will also engage in practical mission apprenticeships within diverse communities in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname.
Samuel Telemaque, Adventist Mission director for the IAD, said the partnership is the result of years of prayer, planning, and collaboration.
“God has blessed Inter-America with people, resources, and opportunities to contribute to the global mission of the church,” Telemaque said. “Now we are intentionally creating pathways for members to serve beyond our borders and participate in mission among some of the world’s least-reached communities.”
Strengthening Mission Through Global Partnership
The agreement also establishes cooperation between USC and MEU, including annual student exchange opportunities that will allow students from both institutions to experience different cultures, educational systems, and ministry environments firsthand.
In addition, the universities will collaborate academically through faculty participation in missionary training programs, while the CARU and the MENAUM will facilitate pastoral exchange opportunities to provide ministers with cross-cultural ministry experience.
The agreement also promotes mission opportunities through the Adventist Church’s VividFaith platform, connecting trained volunteers with service opportunities worldwide.
Church leaders said they hope Adventist universities across Inter-America will become centers for missionary preparation.
“This partnership brings together two institutions committed to mission,” said USC president Colwick M. Wilson. MEU president Carlos Biaggi added that the exchange opportunities will strengthen both institutions and help prepare young people for cross-cultural service.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Missionaries
Among those attending the signing ceremony were Denise Pique-Pollard, a theology student from Suriname, and Samuel Sylvester, a theology student from Trinidad and Tobago.
“This confirms the church’s commitment to mission,” Sylvester said. “It creates more opportunities for young people to become involved in mission and continue the work of the church.”
GC president Erton Köhler welcomed the initiative and thanked the partnering institutions for their commitment to missionary preparation. “Thank you, Inter-American Division. Thank you, Caribbean Union. Thank you to the local university and all the partners working together to better prepare missionaries to serve wherever support is needed to reach people and prepare them for the second coming of Jesus Christ,” he said.
He also welcomed the Intercultural Mission Training Institute to the worldwide Adventist Church, describing it as an important contribution to the church’s global mission efforts.
The memorandum was signed by De los Santos, CARU president Kern Tobias, Wilson, and MENAUM president Denis Sand. Witnessing the agreement were Köhler and Osindo.
Following the signing ceremony church leaders joined in a prayer of consecration for the institute and its future missionary training efforts.
The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division news site.
