Academic Teams

Academic teams are designed to fill a niche in ministry that is not met by other teams.  Some areas may not be suitable or hospitable to the more common model of a medical team undertaking a mercy ministry in a church setting. These same areas may welcome teachers who bring helpful information and professional collegiality.  Thus, academic teams provide an entry into areas where open ministry efforts may not be permitted.  The teams may help add to the credibility of the field missionary, as he/she makes inroads into the culture.  A secondary role of these teams is to bring needed information to the medical efforts of field missionaries in particular locales.  Like other MTW short-term teams, the academic teams are designed to assist in building up the local church.  Because of the special nature, the effort of these teams often occurs at the earliest stage of church building.

The challenge of this ministry is to understand its proper scope in the context of the gospel, avoiding academic endeavor just for the purpose of academics.  The role of this ministry is always subservient to the overall goal of church building.  The intent is to mold teams into what is needed to move the work forward.