By Brett A. Seybold
The growth of multiculturalism and the advancement of secularism and skepticism within Western society makes disciple-making movements such as EQUIP Britain International more necessary than ever.
EQUIP Britain launched in 2017 as an immersive, hands-on missionary training program in Birmingham, England. As home to over 185 nationalities with no single ethnicity or cultural group exceeding 51% of the city’s population, sociologists describe Birmingham as a “super-diverse” community.
Sensing the need for an increased focus on spiritual formation within their context, David Fittro and others sought to create an immersive missionary-training experience—a field laboratory where risks can be taken and positively assessed. “What is significant,” according to Fittro, “is that we believe that you do not learn through experience; rather, you learn by reflecting on your experience.” Fittro estimates that 90% of their ministry activities fail on the mission field, but suggests that failures must be viewed as common in order to see success. “Learning to reflect and adjust,” Fittro explains, “is a very important element of EQUIP and field survival.”
Fittro, the Executive Director of EQUIP Britain International, first visited England in 1984 while completing a degree in missions from Kentucky Christian University. He went on to complete a Master of Divinity Degree in Philosophy/Theology at Lincoln Christian University before he and his wife, Teresa, relocated to England as full-time missionaries in October 1991.
Fittro describes EQUIP Britain as a high-quality, intense, missions-oriented, disciple-making movement with a multi-cultural, trade-school approach for preparing participants to enter full-time missions. He compares the educational model of EQUIP to the three legs of a stool:
- Mentoring: Character Development
- Coaching: Strategy and Skills Instruction
- Spiritual Formation: Becoming a Disciple Worth Multiplying.
Since the onset of the program, 13 people have completed the EQUIP Britain training. Eleven are currently serving, or preparing to serve, as missionaries in Mexico, Germany, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and the United Kingdom. An additional participant, Nathaniel Fittro (David and Teresa’s son), is currently in Australia operating as a global disciple maker. A final program participant decided against going into cross-cultural ministry as a result of the EQUIP Britain training. Fittro views this as a successful outcome for the program, noting that missions is not for everyone and EQUIP aims to help people affirm their call to the mission field before they go through the challenges of recruiting prayer partners, raising financial support, and relocating to a new culture.
An added aspect of EQUIP Britain that has emerged in the past few years focuses on training second- and third-generation diasporic African followers of Christ who are seeking discipleship training. Through this interest, EQUIP Britain’s leadership has established a connection with some 40 young Nigerian leaders who have expressed interest in the program in order to be equipped to influence British society for Christ. This connection has also opened the door for Fittro and his missionary colleague, Tim Aho, to become regular speakers at the Advancing World Missions Conference, a predominantly Nigerian missions conference in the U.K.
Another development that is emerging for EQUIP Britain is a partnership with ForMission College (formerly known as Springdale College), where Fittro serves as a trustee. In recognition of EQUIP Britain’s academic content and curriculum, as well as the value of their immersive experience, ForMission College has agreed to offer a master’s degree to those who complete the program.
EQUIP Britain International provides a valuable pathway though which both British citizens and immigrants to Britain are being trained to evangelize within local and international cultures, while also inspiring local church leaders to think missionally. Moreover, in a country that Fittro believes is rapidly progressing toward becoming a closed nation and where less than 10% of the society claims to be evangelical Christians, EQUIP Britain International offers hope for an ongoing program that will train Brits to reach their own culture.
The EQUIP Britain team consists of Christian Missionary Fellowship International missionaries David and Teresa Fittro, Tim and Tammy Aho, and Jennifer Newingham, along with British itinerant minister Andy Boxall.
Brett Seybold is the founder of KAPOL (Kontakt Apologetics) and a GoConnect Recruiter & Networker for Kontaktmission USA.
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