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The Chalmers Center's
Global Fellowship of Trainers
The Global Fellowship of Trainers (GFT) is a volunteer network of trainers certified by the Chalmers Center to teach courses from our International Ministry Training Track in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The certification process enables committed Christians to become part of a learning and training community – a fellowship of trainers – dedicated to helping churches, Christian ministries, and missionaries to implement church-centered strategies that minister to the economic and spiritual needs of low-income people in their communities. The GFT consists to a large degree, but not exclusively, of indigenous individuals.
For more of an understanding of our GFT program, refer to the short article, Watering the Seeds Without Trampling Them, found in the June 2007 issue of Mandate, our e-newsletter.
Relationship to the Chalmers Center
GFT members are not full-time salaried staff of the Chalmers Center. They are volunteers who remain primarily attached to their own denominations, ministries, missions, or development agencies. The Chalmers Center equips them to carry out high quality training within their own networks.
Qualifications for Certification
Members of this fellowship must be committed to a process of intentional learning. This will include learning from each other’s experiences and from best practice strategies in economic development interventions that assist the poor without creating dependency.
As a certified trainer you must be a committed Christian who:
- Has a heart of service to the church and to the poor.
- Is actively engaged in microfinance and microenterprise development work.
- Is a competent trainer.
- Holds to the basic evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.
- Affirms the foundational commitments of the Chalmers Center concerning:
- The nature of poverty and development
- Community development principles
- The role of the local church
- Sound principles of economic development strategies
- Principles and practices of adult learning
- Agrees to maintain the integrity of the Chalmers Center training materials.
- Commits to an ongoing learning process.
- Commits to facilitate at least two training events/courses per year.
- Commits to reporting the number of people they have trained and stories of impact.
Request an Application
As prerequisite to the application process, you must attend a Christian Economic Development Institute or complete at least one Chalmers Center distance learning course in the International Training Track.
To request an application, email J. Mark Bowers.
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