It all started with Elgin and Dorothy Taylor the founders of TEL International, who served 55 years in foreign missionary service. Between 1959 and 1982, the Taylor’s 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 and assisted his lovely wife Dorothy, at the Okinawa Christian School where she was one of the founding teachers.

In 1964, Elgin and Dorothy Taylor 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 Taylor 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, they 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.