Avant Ministries (formerly known as Gospel Missionary Union) is a non-profit, Christian mission agency focused on planting and developing churches worldwide.
[1] Founded in 1892 out of the YMCA movement as World's Gospel Union, Avant Ministries is one of the oldest missionary sending agencies in the United States.
Avant was the first evangelical Christian mission to enter Ecuador in South America and the Republic of Mali in West Africa.
[6] Their story was reported widely in the American press and recounted by widow Elisabeth Elliot in her book, Through Gates of Splendor.
[8] Avant pioneered the Short-Cycle Church Planting[9] (SCCP) philosophy of ministry which, according to the ministry, "recognizes the power of God and utilizes teams in order to plant a biblically mature, reproducing church in as short a time as possible" 6 and uses a three-pronged approach including: Evangelism, Discipleship, and National Leadership Training.