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World Mission Initiative
Recognizing that the changes sweeping the world and impacting the church necessitate innovative structures to continue the mission of Jesus Christ; pastors, missionaries, and church leaders met with denominational officials, Seminary faculty and administrators at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary early in 1996 to discuss, pray, and strategize about ways to support the work of local congregations in world mission. From these initial meetings, the World Mission Initiative was born. WMI has become a fellowship of Presbyterians dedicated to:
- developing mission vision,
- nurturing missionary vocations,
- cultivating missional congregations
WMI seeks to unite the resources of key mission entities - our local congregations, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and the Worldwide Ministries Division of our denomination - to advance the mission of Jesus Christ in our world of ever increasing need.
Promoting Strategic Partnerships
The historic missionary impulse of American Presbyterians is responsible for helping establish churches
in places like Korea, Pakistan, and Sudan, to name only a few. Today, we recognize the strength and
vitality of those churches, now fully in the hands of indigenous leadership. WMI seeks to link American Presbyterian congregations with denominational and ecumenical
partners worldwide in order to communicate and demonstrate the gospel of Jesus Christ with urgency,
integrity, and sensitivity to local contexts.
Developing Educational Resources
Mission is a matter of spiritual formation. Without intentional training in the biblical, historical, cultural,
and strategic foundations for Christian mission, individuals and congregations are unable to participate
fully in the Christian life. WMI is committed to combining technology with top mission thinkers and
practitioners in order to develop relevant educational resources for the local church. We also provide
mission education resources at the seminary level for those preparing for both pastoral and missional
vocations. Our overseas internship program exposes students to the issues of cross-cultural mission and
globalization of the church's ministry.
Building Support Structures
American Presbyterians possess tremendous material resources to advance the mission of Jesus Christ.
WMI believes that individuals and congregations of our denomination are eager to give generously and
sacrificially as a witness to God's justice and salvation. We also believe that people want to have greater
personal involvement in giving. Recent overtures by our General Assembly have opened new doors for
individuals and congregations not only to identify, train, and send people in mission, but to share the joy
of support first-hand. WMI exists to interpret these new opportunities and encourage local congregations
toward greater personal involvement.
World Mission Initiative
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
616 N. Highland Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
412-441-3304, ext. 2149
E-mail the Director of WMI Don Dawson at ddawson@pts.edu.
