Rev. Elgin Taylor, founder of TEL International” has passed away. Elgin served 55 years in foreign missionary service. Between 1959 and 1982, he preached the gospel across the globe, beginning in Okinawa Japan as the first African-American missionaries to the orient where Elgin pastored a Japanese/American bilingual church; taught English as a second language at the University of the Ryukus.
In 1964, Elgin and his wife Dorothy were transferred to Nigeria, W. Africa, but were evacuated to London, England due to the Biafra crisis, where they remained and worked for the next fifteen years. While in London, Elgin founded a cross-cultural church; a Missionary Bible College; and established a regional mission’s headquarters in Europe where he supervised Christian in Action (CinA) missionaries sent to Europe, Africa, South China, and India. Returning to America, 1980, he worked at the US Center for World Missions, Pasadena, CA with Dr. Ralph Winters.
In 1982, Elgin was unanimously elected president of CinA where he managed over 450 missionaries and national leaders. During his tenure, the ministry expanded into 23 countries. He served in this office for 20 years before resigning for health reasons – November 2002. After a brief but well earned retirement Elgin and Dorothy founded TEL International – August 2008. He is survived by his wife Dorothy, 3 children, 10 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.