How It All Began

 

The story of CultureBound begins with the dedicated efforts of the ministry's founders, Donald and Faye Smith. Their mission work and research on cross-cultural communication were put together into training events, educational materials, printed resources, and educational institutions. That training approach laid the foundation for what would eventually become the Institute for International Christian Communication (IICC), headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

 

A New Chapter

 

Fast forward to 2008, when Mark and Karen Hedinger joined forces with IICC. They brought with them years of ministry experience from Latin America, years of experience with the leadership of mission sending agencies. In 2017, IICC underwent a transformation, rebranding itself as CultureBound.

 

Adapting to Change

 

The Portland-based model, complete with a wonderful building for housing an international community, served its training purpose admirably. The building and the strategy of bringing people to Portland, though, also brought financial and educational challenges. In 2020, recognizing the increasing value of internet-based training,  CultureBound's training team made a pivotal decision to shift towards an online format which also permits in-person options where desired.

 

Navigating Change During the Pandemic

 

CultureBound underwent a remarkable transformation during the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. Swiftly and successfully, we shifted our approach to fully online training, adapting to the changing global landscape. Since then, we have been able to train increasing numbers of intercultural workers in increasing numbers of national settings through our online and/or onsite training approaches.

 

Growing Horizons

 

CultureBound is committed to expanding the scope of its training programs. We now work in multiple languages, partnering with local churches, businesses, professionals, Christian schools and universities and of course mission agencies around the world.

 

Our Vision

 

At CultureBound, our vision is crystal clear: we aim to see the world filled with Jesus ambassadors  skilled at carrying His Gospel to unfamiliar languages and cultures. We're unwavering in our commitment to this mission, working tirelessly until every tribe, tongue, people, and nation have heard the message!