YWAM Madison

Biblical Education and Leadership Training

“We [Wycliffe] give the Bible to the people, and you [BELT] open it for them.” - Wayne Dye (PhD, International Anthropology Consultant,
Wycliffe Bible Translators)

Since the inception of BELT as a partnership between YWAM and Wycliffe Bible Translators in 1995, we have run 100+ training seminars taught in 28+ nations on 6 continents with nearly 50 different people groups. In these places we are equipping pastors, leaders, and church planters to be more effective in discipling their communities. We have seen families transformed, churches strengthened, and community institutions impacted. There are invitations and opportunities in many more nations.

Our Vision

“Entrust what you have learned to faithful people who can teach others”
(2 Tim. 2:2)

The vision of BELT is to see people groups transformed by the Word of God through empowering community and church leaders who have limited access to biblical training. We partner with other mission organizations and indigenous churches to develop leaders through culturally relevant Bible training that teaches them to apply the Scriptures to every area of life and equips them to teach and influence others.

Our Mission

The five-fold mission of the BELT center at Madison is:

CREATING and distributing resources and seminars for the transformational training of individuals and communities.
GOING to places that have limited access to holistic biblical training, in partnership with indigenous churches & mission organizations.
EQUIPPING a culturally diverse international staff of qualified seminar leaders
SUPPORTING our world-wide ministry partners, especially YWAM’s Bible School for the Nations and the integration of BELT into each school.
ESTABLISHING and assisting BELT field teams in our project zones, able to respond to the discipleship needs and requests in that area.

Our Values

The six values of BELT are the expression of our basic beliefs and core behavioral principles:

Unity/Teamwork – BELT affirms the importance of Christian unity and teamwork. We strive for win-win partnerships with indigenous churches and long-term missionaries worldwide.
Bible-Based – BELT affirms the Bible as the authoritative word of God and, with the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, the absolute reference point for every aspect of life and ministry.
Creativity – BELT emphasizes creative and interactive teaching techniques such as drama, music, small group discussion, partner work, posters, games, and review with questions and application in order to help participants learn, remember and be able to teach others.
Incarnational – BELT teams live with the people, eat their food, use their language as best we can, dress like them and involve ourselves in their daily lives. We come to serve.
Excellence – BELT workers strive to be the best teachers we can be, in knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This requires that we involve ourselves in ongoing education, practice, and accountability.
Cultural Diversity/Relevancy – BELT seeks to be international and interdenominational in its global scope as well as its local constituency. We believe that ethnic, linguistic and denominational diversity, along with redeemed aspects of culture, are positive factors that contribute to the health and growth of the Body of Christ.

The Transformation Series

The Transformation Series has been the core training series of BELT since 1995. When we are invited by a remote people group to run these seminars, we make a 3-year commitment to come once a year. Each level of the series is a 2-3 week seminar, including a local outreach for the participants.

Transformation of the Heart (Revival) – Planting the Seeds of God & the Gospel
Transformation of Character (Renewal) – Growing in the Christian Life & Leadership
Transformation of Society (Revival) – Extending God’s Ways to the World

“The BELT way of teaching is different from what we do. It doesn’t just fill our brains, but is very practical teaching that changes our lives” – Pastor Naganea Eleazar, DR-Congo

Our Global Partnerships

The Congo Basin – Targeting 11 different language regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in partnership with Wycliffe. So far BELT has made 7 trips to the Congo!
The Serengeti Plain – Partnering with several denominations to see unity and transformation in the church of Tanzania. So far BELT has made 2 trips to the Kilimanjaro region.
The Himalayan Foothills – Spanning 3-4 different countries, this is one of the most sensitive areas for language work and especially for Christian activity. BELT teams have made dozens of trips to this region over the years and seen many church leaders and communities transformed.
Other Locations – BELT teams have also been working in the Mongolian steppes, Papua New Guinea, the South Pacific islands, and the remote villages of Latin America to reach all these places with the transforming truths of the Bible.

Our Funding

BELT is called to rely on a relationship-based support system, depending upon God and His people for financial provision, both corporately and individually. We believe that relationship-based support promotes responsibility, accountability, communication, and mutual prayer. It involves the donor as a partner in ministry.