FAQ Group: General

GYA – Glad you asked! Let’s start with the basics: BMA (Biblical Mennonite Alliance) is an organization of churches scattered mostly throughout the eastern US and Canada. BMA operates a mission organization called Destinations International (DNI), which prioritizes starting churches among unreached people groups. To train its workers and cultivate a vision for missions in the church, DNI oversees the work of the Ministry Training Center (MTC).

Here at the MTC, we have carried on the tradition of three-letter acronyms. LTO refers to our Long-Term Orientation, a six-week training program for those preparing for service; and WOW is short for World Outreach Weekend, our short-term events for youth, school, and church groups.

Mostly, we walk! Stores, laundry, restaurants, and lots of people are all within easy walking distance. To go further abroad or travel to another borough in the city, we bike or use the public transportation system (bus or subway). You will not find it necessary to bring a car or a bike for your stay here.

Our neighborhood is made up largely of stable immigrant families. While some parts of NYC may still experience high amounts of crime, the crime rate in our area is lower than some places in Lancaster County, PA and Holmes County, OH. We encourage our visitors to take common safety precautions such as keeping doors locked, staying aware of their surroundings, and not walking alone after dark, but we rarely worry about safety issues. We feel very comfortable walking around our neighborhood and interacting with people on the streets and in our homes, and we want our guests to do the same!