Influence of Missiological Training on Trainers’ Competences and Christian Maturity in the Selected Mission Training Institutions in Southwest, Nigeria

Globally, missionaries are supposed to receive prerequisite training tohelp them navigate their mission engagement. However, some stilloperate as if they are sent out unprepared. Despite some empiricalevidence on missiological training and practices among Christianorganisations in Nigeria, there seems to be little attention paid to theinfluence of mission education on trainers’ outcomes. Therefore, thisstudy investigated influence of missiological training (MT) on trainers’competences (TC) and Christian maturity among selected missiontraining institutions in Southwest, Nigeria. Descriptive Survey ResearchDesign was adopted using Trainers’ Competence and OutcomeQuestionnaire (TCOQ) r = .864. Population of the study involves allmission training institutions and trainers, affiliated to NigeriaEvangelical Missions Association (NEMA) with a total sample of 82mission trainers selected from five NEMA- members. MT has asignificant influence on enhancing the trainers’ ability to conceive a well-developed curriculum as rated by 70.7% of the respondents. Influence ofmissiological training on: trainers’ language and culture learningexperiences was rated by respondents as 67.1%, on skills in cross-culturalevangelism and church planting (75.6%), on discipleship and mentorrelationship skills (62.2%), ability to manage people with sensitivity(67.1%) and on trainers’ wisdom and Interaction in cross-cultural anddiverse situations (70.7%), on trainers’ interdisciplinary knowledge (52.4%,); trainers' understanding of theological, socio-political,economic, and ethnic realities (54.9%), understanding local political andsocial situations (62.2%), keeping trainers updated on global missionactivities, and in keeping trainers updated on missiological thinking andwriting (65.9%). MT enhances trainers’ clearer understanding of Missio-Dei was rated high by 85.4% of the respondents, 68.3% on enhancing ashift in worldview, and 80.5% on recognizing that mission is a task for allbelievers, and equipping for effective missionary training in differentcontexts. The study concludes that influence of missiological training wasfound to be significant on: trainers' capacity to effectively run missiontraining programs, trainers’ Christian maturity, on trainers’ ministryskills and experience, on trainers’ interdisciplinary knowledge, and ontrainers’ vision for mission training. Based on this study's findings, it ishighly recommended that more field missionaries should be encouragedto step aside for a while to acquire further education