By Megan E. Herring
Times were changing. History was being made as the nations under the grip of Communism received their freedom one by one. New opportunities awaited as the Eastern European church arose from underground to reclaim a public place in society. Leaders emerged, ready to rebuild their churches, cultures, and countries for Christ.
Leaders who had the passion but not the training.
TCM International, known more by its tag line “Taking Christ to Millions,” had served the Eastern European Christians under the leadership of Gene Dulin since the early-1960s. Mr. Dulin’s faithful leadership for over 33 years brought much needed support to Christians during times of immense difficulty. Empowered by the Holy Spirit through the practice of prayer, this small U.S. ministry found itself uniquely positioned again and again to support these persecuted believers, helping them lead and minister in secret to their people. TCM helped them fulfill the Great Commission and make disciples despite their challenging circumstances.
But times were changing. New leadership was needed for a new era—leadership that would carry a new vision for an adapted mission and a changing world yet retain TCM’s enduring focus on fulfilling the Great Commission.
Enter Tony Twist, a young pastor fresh out of doctoral studies and primed for the mission field. 1990 was a new year ushering in a new era—a year of transition for TCM and Eastern Europe. In January 1990, Mr. Dulin announced he would pass the leadership baton to Dr. Twist. One era of faithful leadership began to transition to the next.
Thirty-five years later, President Tony Twist still faithfully carries the leadership baton.
Times had changed. Eastern European Christian leaders needed and wanted training. They desired affordable, accessible, accredited, and practical training with the Great Commission as its focus. TCM International Institute was born.
Building upon the success and demand of TCM’s “Summer Seminary,” Dr. Twist created the Institute for Biblical Studies, partnering with Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary to provide accredited theological leadership training for the resurgent Eastern European and Russian church leaders. Classes were held in Austria at Haus Edelweiss and in-country throughout Eastern Europe and Russia. The first eight degrees were conferred to Eastern European leaders in 1995, and annual graduation celebrations continue to this day. TCM now trains Christian leaders for significant service in Austria and, on average, 23 other in-country locations each year.
As TCM’s needs outgrew the partnership with Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary, Dr. Twist led the Institute through state accreditation affiliation with the Higher Learning Commission based in Chicago. Through prayer and perseverance, TCM received its accredited status with HLC in 2008, with approval for distance delivery in 2013. Once again, TCM found itself uniquely positioned to help national Christian leaders obtain the training they need to fulfill the Great Commission where God has called them.
With its flexible educational model combining distance delivery and personal face-to-face mentoring, TCM’s boundaries expanded beyond its historic footprint. Eastern Europe expanded to Russia. Russia expanded to the Caucasus. The Caucasus expanded to Central Asia and Turkey. Turkey expanded to other parts of the Middle East. Then TCM was introduced to Kenya. Kenyans introduced TCM to Liberians, Zimbabweans, and Sierra Leoneans.
TCM trains formally through the accredited degree program and informally through classes and seminars for lay leaders. It trains men and women to be effective disciples and disciple-makers in their churches, cultures, and countries. It equips men and women to adapt and lead in changing times, cultures, and countries.
The records reflect that TCM has trained 11,331 leaders from 49 countries since it began keeping track. What have these leaders done with their training? They have taught God’s Word, helped the poor and vulnerable, discipled men, women, and children, started local ministries to meet the spiritual and physical needs of others, built Bible schools, led churches, equipped others, and served the Lord faithfully. Using data from a recent survey of graduates and students, the global influence of trained leaders includes:
- 439,934 people discipled
- 642,915 people baptized
- 12,464 new churches served
- 51,025 new small groups established
- 5.3 million people influenced for Christ.
Faithful leadership by two men called by God to help prepare leaders for the global Church. Mr. Dulin began the work of TCM in 1957. Dr. Twist continues the work. Sixty-eight years later, the need remains for trained disciple-making leaders around the world. As Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37, English Standard Version).
In 2025, as TCM celebrates 35 years of Dr. Twist’s leadership, we look forward to training thousands more leaders for the global church. Our Engaging Every Nation Initiative plans to expand TCM’s capacity to increase the number of trained and credentialed disciple-making leaders while also deepening our efforts in current areas of service.
Times are still changing. Prayerful, faithful leaders are needed more than ever. TCM’s tools and mission have adapted to past changes, but the enduring focus today remains the same: to equip Christian leaders for significant service so that every nation will have effective leaders of disciple-making movements impacting their churches, cultures, and countries for Christ.
Dr. Megan E. Herring serves as Vice President for TCM International Institute.
I was first introduced to Gene Dulin and TCM in the 1960’s at Elkhorn Valley Christian Service Camp in Ohio. It is great to hear they have now expanded into Africa. I also didn’t realize Mr Dulin passed leadership to Dr Twist with no one in between. So appreciate this overview of the start of TCM to today’s outreach.
Gene Dulin came to Intermountain Bible College’s mission week in 1978. His was the first messages I heard about missions that ignited a passion in me. I was able to be part of a mission’s internship team in 1978 for two months. Since then, I have led the missions ministry off and on at my church here in New Mexico for many of those years. We have taken mission trips (until Covid) and are now working to plan more.
I credit Gene and TCM for igniting this passion.
Janice and I first learned of what was then called Toronto Christian Mission when we attended Wi-Ne-Ma Week of mmission in the early 1960’s A representative from TCM was there who was originally from Russia (I can’t recall his name at the moment). He told of the exciting work of taking God’s word behind the Iron Curtain to hungry souls eager to have a Bible of their own. Shortly after I retired from the university in 2000 we again made contact with TCMII and came to Haus Edleweiss as short term workers. Janice served in the kitchen and I worked in maintanance. We returned a total of five times serving as long and short term workers. It was a joy for us to interact with the many brothers and sisters who came to the Haus for training and along with those who were there to serve. Blessings to you all.
President Tony Twist has been a great blessing to and through TCM all these years all around the world, including little Estonia in the nordic-baltic corner of Europe where I come from. When I began my studies 1992 in Haus Edelweiss, Tony became my mentor. And after all these years he is still my mentor – as we are serving together as one faculty for the vision of TCM ‘that every nation will have effective leaders of disciple-making movements impacting their churches, cultures, and countries for Christ.’ Tony’s visionary leadership has inspired and empowered me and all of us in TCM for a Christ-like Life and disciple-making mission. I am who I am – and TCM is what it is – today because of Tony’s personal example and influence. May he continue to be blessed, guided and used for the glory of God and his Kingdom serving for the Best in His world.
I learned about TCMI through a friend. I finished my course in the year 2023 and graduated in the year 2024. The training has completely transformed and I am very grateful to the institute.
I learned so much from the practical teaching on humility and servant leadership. I can attest that this is the first place that I interacted with men of God of substance who were down to earth
I planted a church after my graduation and the Lord Has been very faithful to us. Many have come to Christ and they have had their lives transformed by the Word of God (Romans 12:1-2).
May the Lord bless the TCMI team
I took a master’s degree course in the first TCM cohort in Nairobi, Kenya, and I was very overjoyed when Dr. Tony Twist and his TCM team came to officiate our graduation on 24th April, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. God used TCM under Dr. Twist as the instrument to enhance my spiritual life and ministry. During my four years of study, I was given the requisite guidance, instruction and training for my journey as a servant of Jesus Christ.
Currently I am using the passion, insights and skills that I received from TCM in training pastors, church leaders and youth on missions and servant leadership in Nairobi.
I am very grateful to God, to Dr. Twist and TCM International Institute for a work well done. My prayer is that God will continue to elevate the mission of TCMI, and grant long enjoyable life to Dr. Twist.
Shalom Blessings to You All.