In 2004, in response to an invitation from field staff of a missions organization working in South Asia, an initial group of six top mission leaders received professional coaching and coach training. These strategic leaders became passionate about the impact coaching had on their own lives and caught a vision for how it could impact others in their organization. That organization then issued a challenge to the group’s trainer, our Founder, Tina Stoltzfus Horst – make coaching available to all 2,000 of the South Asia field staff. Coaching Mission International was born as a result of this challenge! A board was formed, professionally trained Christian coaches were recruited, intercessors volunteered to pray, and CMI incorporated in the fall of 2006. After the first major coaching project which started in the fall of 2007, we saw great results – leaders reported feeling more supported, ministry calls were clarified, and they realized significant improvement in their spiritual lives. The model was working – Coaching was supporting and developing missions leaders!

Seeing the need for more cross-culturally trained mission coaches, CMI started our first official training cohort in 2009 with 24 trainees. Since our founding, we have trained over 500 mission leaders serving in 54 countries. Through 2020, our coaches and trainees have provided over 65,000 hours of coaching to more than 4,100 mission workers in 110 countries.  Our continued focus is to impact nations by upholding leaders on the frontlines of mission work to help them overcome the challenges and struggles they face so they can thrive and flourish in life and ministry.