Ethnos360, formerly known as New Tribes Mission (NTM), is an international evangelical Christian organization founded in 1942 and based in Sanford, Florida. Its mission focuses on reaching indigenous groups that do not have access to the Bible in their native languages. The organization operates in regions including Latin America, West Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Arctic. Its stated objective is to translate biblical texts and establish self-sustaining churches among indigenous populations through long-term cultural immersion and linguistic work.
The organization was founded by Paul Fleming, who had previously worked as a missionary in Malaya. It was initially headquartered in Chicago before later relocating to California. The early years were marked by several fatal incidents. In 1944, five missionaries were killed by indigenous people in Bolivia. In 1950, two plane crashes resulted in the deaths of 36 individuals, including Fleming. In 1953, 14 members died while serving as volunteer firefighters during California’s Rattlesnake Fire. Despite these events, the organization expanded its training programs and aviation capabilities to support work in remote regions.
Over time, Ethnos360 developed a structured training program that can last up to four years. The curriculum includes biblical studies, linguistics, and cross-cultural communication. Missionaries are trained to develop written systems for previously unwritten languages and to teach literacy. The organization uses a chronological approach to teaching the Bible, beginning with the Old Testament. To support access to isolated communities, Ethnos360 operates an aviation division, Ethnos360 Aviation, which maintains aircraft and helicopters.
Beginning in the late 20th century, the organization faced ongoing criticism regarding its impact on indigenous communities. Anthropologists and human rights groups have raised concerns about cultural disruption and have used the term “ethnocide” to describe the potential loss of cultural identity associated with missionary activity. In 1986, allegations emerged that NTM members in Paraguay were involved in the relocation of the Ayoreo people, which was followed by deaths linked to disease and reports of unpaid labor. The organization denied forcing religious conversion, while some former officials noted changes in social conditions after contact.
In 1981, contact between missionaries and the Nukak people in Colombia was later associated with population decline linked to disease and changes in social structure. In 2005, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez ordered the expulsion of the organization, citing concerns about national sovereignty and allegations of external influence. Some indigenous communities protested the decision, pointing to the services provided by the mission, while the government maintained its position.
Allegations of abuse within the organization have also been documented. A 2010 report described patterns of abuse at a mission-operated boarding school in Senegal during the 1980s and 1990s. In 2013, missionary Warren Scott Kennell was arrested and later sentenced to 58 years in prison for sexual abuse of indigenous girls in Brazil and possession of child pornography. Reports from survivors indicated that boarding school systems, where children were sometimes separated from their missionary parents, did not provide sufficient safeguards.
In 2017, the organization adopted the name Ethnos360. The change was viewed by some observers as an effort to move away from earlier controversies. Legal challenges continued in subsequent years. In 2019, a lawsuit alleged that the organization failed to prevent peer-to-peer sexual abuse at a training facility in Missouri in 2016. The case was dismissed in 2023 by a Florida judge, who ruled that under Missouri law, religious organizations could not be held liable for supervision in private homes on their property.
In 2020, attention focused on the organization’s activities in the Brazilian Amazon. Ethnos360 announced plans to use a helicopter to initiate contact with isolated indigenous groups. This raised concerns due to Brazilian laws and constitutional protections that limit such contact. At the same time, the appointment of an evangelical former NTM missionary to a leadership role within Brazil’s indigenous agency, FUNAI, during the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro led to further scrutiny of the organization’s influence.
Key Sources:
Branford, S. (2020, March 18). Evangelical Group to contact indigenous peoples in Amazon amid coronavirus pandemic. Earth Island Journal.
Chuck, E. (2024, September 30).Former child New Tribes Mission members speak out on alleged sex abuse. NBC News.
Roberts, K. (2025, October 1). Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against Ethnos360 Dismissed. Ministry Watch.