About Us

Training Evangelistic Leadership (TEL) was launched in Singapore in 1970 by Rev. Roy Robertson out a recognized need to develop more full-time Asian evangelists. He invited six men from five Asian countries to live in his home for a year to receive on-the-job training in evangelistic ministry. The vision of TEL continued to expand as Roy and his wife Phyllis conducted similar training programs through homes in Japan, Indonesia, India, and the Philippines.

TEL was initially formed by Roy as a project of The Navigators but has since become an independent mission agency that operates with an international board of directors in Denton, TX. Roy, who founded and continues to serve as International Director of TEL, sailed to China in 1948 having been appointed The Navigators’ first missionary by the organization’s founder Dawson Trotman. Roy labored in the ministry of evangelism and disciplemaking through The Navigators in many Asian countries until his retirement in 1986. Upon his retirement, Roy renewed his commitment to continue the ministry of evangelism and training in Asia full-time through TEL. The resultant fruit of that commitment, TEL is now a mission agency which is blend of about half international missionaries and half national workers operating in 6 Asian countries and in the United States.

TEL continues to labor in South and Southeast Asia with a vision to preach the gospel to every creature through direct proclamation and through training others who also desire to labor in this vision. The harvest is still ripe in Asia and TEL is trusting God for full-time missionaries whom God has called to help complete the work of evangelism in Asia through serving in gospel teams and training others to do the same.

For information about serving with TEL, please see our Service Opportunities.