Our Vision
OneTree Ministries serves anyone who is longing for depth in their relationship with Jesus, is encountering challenges that hinder their flourishing, or finds themself in need of intensive soul care. We especially focus on leaders, cross-cultural workers, and the teams they serve. Together, we journey alongside people with personalized care and experiential training, so they can vibrantly embody the love of Jesus and become more of who God made them to be. We want to see the world full of followers of Jesus thriving and cultivating flourishing missional communities that embody, demonstrate, and proclaim the love of Jesus.​​
Our
Story
OneTree grew out of a wasteland.
A note from Virgil Tanner, Executive Director
We moved from full-time pastoral work in the United States, to serving as cross-cultural missionaries. In both places, we saw so many dedicated people, like you, pouring themselves out for others, often at the expense of their own well-being.
When my wife and I lived in Central Asia, we learned firsthand how high the stakes are for those serving in tough places. Friends and colleagues who had poured years into their work found themselves exhausted, isolated, and struggling to hold on. Many left. Those who stayed—ourselves included—often struggled with discouragement, isolation, and a sense that their light was dimming.
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Later, when we moved to Spain, we started coaching, training, and developing people working in places with limited access—places where the cost of staying is high and the pressure never lets up.
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We began to ask the tough questions, such as, why do half of all cross-cultural workers leave within five years? Why do hard places seem to chew up even the strongest people? Why do breakdowns happen in such predictable ways? What does it take to grow leaders who don’t just survive, but thrive—who can stay rooted and strong, right where they are?
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The answers didn’t come quickly, but they came.
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Jesus met us in our own pain, and He began showing us real, organic solutions—ones that didn’t rely on quick fixes or surface-level strategies—and the renewal began. These tools were forged in real time, in real places, with real people who were hanging on by a thread. And they worked. They brought healing. They brought hope. They brought strength to move from survival to thriving.
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Through the profound solutions inspired by Jesus, people took notice and others began to ask for help. Organizations reached out. Leaders wanted to know what we had found. That is when we made a strategic move to North America—not to step back, but to step further in, so we could serve more of you, wherever you are in the world.
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OneTree helps leaders like you develop a deep, organic rhythm that sustains you. We believe leadership isn’t just about action; it’s about who you are becoming. It’s about creating an environment where you’re not only doing good in the world but also allowing yourself to grow, heal, and thrive. Whether you're leading in a remote mission field, building a team in a high-stakes environment, or managing a business in the marketplace, OneTree offers tools, coaching, and support.
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We don’t believe you have to burn out to do meaningful work.
You can be fully alive in every area of your life.
Our Team
What We Believe
We hold to the tenets of Christian orthodoxy as articulated in the Apostles Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Additionally:
We hold the Christian scriptures—the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible—as the objective guide and authority for faith and practice.
We believe humans—male and female—are made in the image of God, meaning they are unique among God’s other creations, and are made to relate (to God, one another, and the cosmos), to reflect their Maker in the world, and to rule alongside their Maker as vice-regents of creation. As such, all human beings are endowed with indelible dignity.