History
MAI’s founders Bob Reekie, Jim Engel and Jim Johnson firmly believed in the written word’s power to transform lives when it speaks to readers’ hearts, needs and joys. They started Media Associates International (MAI) in 1985 to train Christian communicators to share the gospel through locally-created media with an emphasis on written literature. Since then, MAI has trained over 12,000 people in 110 countries.
“MAI became a voice and a means, with God’s grace and goodness, to help gifted Christians produce culturally relevant magazines, books and literature for readers in their own lands,” co-founder and first MAI President Bob Reekie said. “Materials that grow from the soul and soil of each culture can begin to address the issues, concerns and priorities of readers.”
In 1986, MAI assisted Evangelical Literature Overseas (ELO) with organizing its publishing conference, The Power of Print for a Growing Church. ELO’s World Literature Conference developed into LittWorld, MAI’s global Christian publishing conference, and ELO was absorbed by MAI.
In 1995, missions journalist and editor John Maust became MAI’s new Director of Training. John was appointed MAI President in 1998, with former President Bob Reekie continuing as Director of Training Resources for three years. Ramon Rocha III joined the MAI global team in 2012 as Director of Publisher Development. In 2024, missions journalist, communications consultant and editor Heather Pubols became the third MAI President.
Locally-driven training
Regional Boards were established by MAI to discern training needs, spearhead initiatives and raise awareness of MAI’s ministry throughout the various world regions: MAI-Europe (1990), MAI-Asia (2005), MAI-Africa (2012) and MAI-America Latina (2024).
To equip and grow a global network of volunteer trainers, MAI held its first train-the-trainer workshop in 1999. Subsequent train-the-trainer workshops were held in Austria (2003), the Philippines (2006), Singapore and Kenya (both in 2013).
Writing contests to spur local Christian writing
To encourage Christian writing, MAI facilitates regular writing contests. In 1993, a writing contest was held for writers from Mexico, Malaysia and Hong Kong. In 2009, MAI co-sponsored an essay contest on what it means to be a Latin American Christian today.
With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, to discover talent and provide a creative outlet to global Christian writers, in 2020 MAI held five monthly writing contests in English and Spanish.
Writing contests are also held on the year of each LittWorld global conference that correspond with the event’s theme, with awards offered in the form of cash prizes as well as online and print publication.
Awards for excellence in Christian publishing and training
In 2018, the annual Robert B. Reekie Global Publisher Award was established, which recognizes excellence by a Christian publisher serving in a difficult context for Christian publishing. Past recipients include MIK publishing house in Pakistan (2018), Dar Manhal Al Hayat publishing house in Lebanon (2021), Văn Phẩm Hạt Giống (Seed Publications) in Vietnam (2023) and Certeza Argentina (2024).
In 2024, the Distinguished Trainer Award was awarded to Keila Ochoa Harris of Mexico, and Célimène Bada of Benin was awarded the first Judith E. Markham Editorial Legacy Award for emerging editors.
Online training
In 2014, to multiply and expand the training provided through in-person workshops, MAI began to offer free monthly webinars in English. This was expanded to webinars in Spanish and French in 2022, which continue to be offered bi-monthly and quarterly respectively. For a complete listing, see MAI’s webinar library.
In 2020, MAI-Europe held a virtual training conference consisting of six training webinars over a two-week period. In 2021, MAI launched a weekly resource, three-minute training videos to help publishers and writers hone their skills.
To increase accessibility for participants throughout the Spanish-speaking world, MAI offers most training in Spanish online. In 2017, MAI facilitated online training for Spanish-language editors. In 2018, month-long online training courses were offered for comic artists and writers, in partnership with the Letra Viva publishers network and Bíblica Virtual of Argentina. Other online trainings include an eight-week course on writing Christian novels in 2021.
Online communities
To facilitate connections throughout its global community, MAI established monthly online communities in partnership with its regional Boards including an Online Writers Group (2023), Online Poetry Group (2024) and Online Prayer Group focused on praying for Christian publishing in Africa.
How it all began
Our first president, Bob Reekie, on MAI’s start.
Why did you launch MAI?
The two Jims and I recognized the urgency of training men and women in Christian publishing in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Central/Eastern Europe.
Some Christians and Christian ministries were providing training for local writers, but they neglected the publishing structure. How would these writers grow their gifts and get published?
Fundamental to MAI’s training was the publisher. When we planned a training for writers, we immediately asked, “Who will be the editor and the publisher?”
Although certain groups were active in publishing, sometimes they failed to understand that publishing was not just a ministry, but also a business. MAI aimed to strengthen and develop quality Christian publishers whose business acumen would benefit the kingdom.
What challenges did you face in MAI’s early days?
It was raining like crazy the day Jim Engel and I signed a two-year lease, and paid the deposit and first month’s rent. After we’d signed, Jim and I stood out in the rain, leaned against the car, and he said, “We’ve just signed a lease for two years, and we really don’t have that kind of money.”
I had no guaranteed salary as MAI’s first CEO/president. That would have to come later and only when MAI could afford it.
Although both Jims believed we would need at least $100,000 to launch MAI in May 1985, MAI actually began with a lot less: $5,000. That’s how the Lord does things. He says, “Hey, you’ve got too many troops out there and not enough faith.”
Tell us about MAI’s first training.
The first two trainers in MAI’s embryonic network were author Tim Stafford, an experienced trainer in East Africa for Youth For Christ International, and Haron Wachira, a Kenyan. Tim started STEP youth magazine in Kenya and then found and equipped Haron to become its editor and publisher.
They traveled to former Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo ) to fulfill an invitation MAI received for writer and editorial training.
Whenever possible, MAI linked an experienced trainer with a gifted learner-trainer either from the country or continent of the training. Thus, training trainers became a hallmark of MAI’s philosophy.
Looking back, what are you most thankful for?
When the two Jims and I shared a dream for an agency devoted to enhancing publishing skills, there were few, if any agencies focused solely on training local Christians in publishing, writing, editing, graphics, marketing, sales and production.
MAI became a voice and a means, with God’s grace and goodness, to help gifted Christians produce culturally relevant magazines, books and literature for readers in their own lands. Materials that grow from the soul and soil of each culture can begin to address the issues, concerns and priorities of readers.