Worldwide Discipleship Ministry
The Navigators celebrate their 75th year of ministry this year! They serve in over 100 countries with the goal of creating new disciples of Jesus Christ. 4000 people of 64 nationalities comprise the Navigators.
Impressive numbers don’t equal spiritual success though. The Navigators are still around because of their heartfelt mission and devotion to strategically influence people for Christ across a broad range of people. For more on this read their direction page and their mission page.
I really like the story of how their ministry got started:
The ministry of The Navigators began in the 1930’s through the call of God to a young Californian blue-collared worker, Dawson Trotman. Dawson caught a vision to teach discipleship principles he found fruitful in his own life. He began to teach high school students and local Sunday school classes. Then in 1933, he and his friends began to extend their work among sailors in the U.S. Navy.
Dawon taught sailor Les Spencer the principles of Christian growth. They spent many hours together praying, studying the Bible, and memorizing Scripture. When one of Spencer’s shipmates asked him the secret of his changed life, Spencer brought the man to Trotman. “Teach him what you taught me,” Spencer said. “You teach him!” Trotman responded. And that was the beginning of The Navigators.
Spencer did teach the sailor, and soon the two men were meeting with others. Eventually, 125 men on their ship, the U.S.S. West Virginia, were growing in Christ and actively sharing their faith.
Read more about it here.
If you’re looking for more information on The Navigators, you can check them out on the web in a few different places:
