OUR MISSION:
Equipping indigenous Christ followers for meaningful participation in His Great Commission.
The Waodani tribe, formerly known as the Aucas, are a well-known indigenous tribe from the jungles of Ecuador. This is the tribe that, in 1956, speared Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCulley, Roger Youderian, and Pete Flemming to death. This tragedy gave way to one of the most well known stories of martyrdom, sacrifice, and Gospel transformation. Due to the hard work of these men, widowed Elisabeth Elliot, and Rachel Saint (sister of Nate), many in the tribe came to know Christ.
After Rachel’s death in 1994, the Waodani asked Steve Saint (son of Nate) to live with them. At this time, the Waodani considered Steve one of their own, and Steve considered Mincaye (who killed his father) his adopted father. This is truly only a story that God could write. However, Steve wondered what he could do for the tribe that more capable missionaries weren’t already doing for them. The Waodani said, “We don’t want you to come ‘do’ for us, we want you to teach us ‘how to do’ the things the outsiders have done for us.” They ultimately wanted to meet the needs of their own tribe, and then to use those skills to reach their own people with the Gospel. Amazingly, the Waodani laid the blueprint for ITEC that we still use today.
Steve came back to the States and founded ITEC in 1996. God has faithfully provided a growing team and facilities dedicated to Great Commission participation of all believers. Steve is still involved as a member of the board of directors and his son, Jaime, is ITEC’s Executive Director.
Inspiring & Guiding
Long-Term Impact, Short-Term Trip
The Equip Team at ITEC is dedicated to empowering churches, ministries, and individuals to actively engage in fulfilling the Great Commission. Our mission is to foster connections and collaborations between churches in the developed world and those on the front lines of mission fields.
The ultimate hope for humanity is Christ, who calls every believer to employ their unique gifts, talents, and abilities in His service.
Christians from the developed Western world constitute just a quarter of the global Christian community. Meanwhile, the church in non-Western regions is experiencing rapid growth and is increasingly sending out missionaries. Imagine the impact your church could have by forming a partnership with an indigenous church located in a frontier area or near an unreached people group. Such collaboration could empower local believers to address community needs, thereby opening doors for the gospel.
Today, with over 3 billion people unreached, the commission to disciple all nations may appear overwhelming. Yet, by joining forces with the indigenous church, we can tackle a mission that transcends any church or individual’s efforts. Every disciple of Christ is called to contribute to the Great Commission.