Institute of Strategic Languages and Cultures

 

The History of RLM

               

The desperate need for missionary training in Russian language became apparent during a mission trip to Ukraine in 1991. The fact that Russian has never been a widely-studied language in the United States, combined with a frustratingly complex grammar, has ensured that very few North American missionaries had any knowledge of the language. As a result of this need Russian Language Ministries (RLM) was born in the winter and early spring of 1992.

                        

Albuquerque, New Mexico  -  One of the first of many semesters to come...

Drawing on a shoestring budget, two instructors, and confidence in our Heavenly Father, RLM began with its first pilot course in the Spring of 1992 with 16 students in Albuquerque, NM. During this time RLM incorporated and received tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) publicly-supported organization. The partnership with Columbia Bible College and Seminary (now known as Columbia International University) in Columbia, SC, began with the first intensive summer program in 1993.

This partnership inspired and necessitated RLM to move its headquarters from Albuquerque to Columbia in early 1996, and RLM is presently located on the campus of Columbia International University.

To date RLM has trained some 600 missionaries in Russian language, culture, and history and now consists of a staff of eight. Our goal is to create the finest intensive program in the world today and after that, we are dreaming big dreams of adding other strategic languages like Arabic and Chinese to the curriculum. As we have in the past, we continue to trust the Lord for His guidance and provision for an exciting future.