Esa Autero
President and Founder; Dr.Theol.,Th.M
Dr. Esa Autero is a native of Finland. He graduated with Master’s (2003) and Doctorate in Theology (2014) from the University of Helsinki, Finland with a major in New Testament Exegesis. He has lived in five continents and ministered in poor and marginalized communities in US and around the world for over ten years. Dr. Esa is also a long-time elder in a local church and has worked as a professional social worker in jails and addiction recovery centers. Dr. Esa is passionate about teaching the Bible and igniting people’s hearts to reach out to the least and the lost in their communities and around the world. As the Dean and Faculty Chair of biblical studies at South Florida Bible College & Theological Seminary (SFBC&TS), Dr. Esa has extensive experience in biblical teaching and curriculum development. Dr. Esa has also taught in colleges and universities around the world, such as Bolivian Evangelical University (UEB), ISEAT Ecumenical Institute (Bolivia), Chiquicollo Pentecostal Bible College (Bolivia), Hyny Full Gospel Bible College (India), and Chandigahr Bible College (India), among others. Dr. Esa has written several academic and popular publications on the Gospels, transformative Bible study, and contextual biblical hermeneutics.
Masi Saari
Treasurer/Secretary; BA
about us
Institutional Goals
Mission
Core Values
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MDI envisions every church and believer equipped and actively participating in God’s mission to transform the world.
In its activities MDI is guided by the following core values and principles:
- Biblical, charismatic, and evangelical; we are committed to the Bible, biblical principles, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our identity is charismatic and evangelical even when we work with groups who do not share our beliefs.
- Passionate about the liberating and transforming power of the gospel; we believe in the transforming power of God in Christ through the Spirit. We believe that God in Christ is the source of abundant life and authentic transformation in communities and individual lives.
- Focus on the poor and the marginalized; we promote the dignity, rights, and well-being of the poor and marginalized communities and individuals. We side with them whenever this does not conflict with our other core values. We also believe that the poor, oppressed, and marginalized communities and individuals must be empowered and encouraged to make decisions that are beneficial to themselves, as well as to take responsibility for those decisions.
- Contextual and culturally sensitive; we believe that all educational and training activities and materials should be culturally sensitive and developed to fit the specific needs of the communities they address. However, at times biblical values may be in conflict with certain cultural values or norms in which case the biblical values are to be preferred.
- Inter-denominational and ecumenical; we seek to bring together people from all denominations to hear the liberating Words of Jesus and to bring about transformation in the society. We also strive to cross denominational boundaries and promote understanding between those who are well-off or mainstream and those who are poor and marginalized.
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Integrity and ethical conduct; we strive to maintain integrity of belief, talk, conduct, and core values in all that we do. We aim to conduct ourselves ethically and promote the basic human rights of all people.
Miika Makila
Vice-president
Miika Makila was born in Canada and raised with a strong Finnish heritage. He graduated from SNI as a sports massage therapist and personal trainer in 1999. From 1999-2002 he owned and operated a successful business in Palm Beach County, FL training and massaging clients. Miika’s passion to help people achieve their personal goals and to live a better life has been the driving force in his life. In 2002 a change in careers started his journey in the insurance field, first with his father, then starting his own independent insurance agency in 2007 (Absolute Insurance, Inc). Despite his successful business ventures, Miika’s passion for helping others challenged him to do more for the least and the lost in the community and around the world. This has included serving on the board of All Nations Church (Lake Worth, FL) and subsequently as the vice president of Missio Dei International. Miika’s drive and passion for serving and helping other has made him a successful husband, father and local business owner in the community.
Vision
To accomplish its vision and mission, MDI seeks to:
- Encourage and ignite a passion in churches and individuals to participate in God’s mission to change the world.
- Develop biblical, theological, and ministerial resources that are biblically sound, culturally relevant and that promote holistic salvation and human transformation.
- Teach the Bible, theology, and ministry skills in a way that is holistic, relevant, and contextual.
- Conduct research and publish material that is relevant to the mission and vision of MDI.
- Promote, support, and implement praxis that leads to community and individual transformation.
- Cooperate and network with churches, organizations, institutions, and government bodies that have shared values and beliefs or work toward similar goals.