We are a community of people who have experienced God’s love and we want to share His love through service and friendship with internationals on university campuses and beyond.
International Student Ministries (ISM) is a not-for-profit Christian organization that serves international students in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Our mission is to glorify God by meeting the practical and spiritual needs of international students through acts of service and sharing the hope and love of Jesus Christ. Our not-for-profit was originally set up under the name International Community Outreach (ICO).
Who We Are
ISM began in the 1980s and was officially established as a nonprofit in 1999 by Jerry and Ann Lout, whose heart for international students helped lay the foundation for what the ministry is today.
ISM has a presence on university campuses across Oklahoma. In each location, our passionate volunteers form the backbone of the ministry—offering friendship, hospitality, and help with everyday challenges.
Many students are far from home, and our volunteers become like extended family. Through these loving relationships, we often see doors open to conversations about life, faith, and the hope we have in Jesus.
Where We Serve
ISM is currently active at the following Oklahoma campuses:
- University of Tulsa (TU)
- University of Oklahoma – Schusterman Center (Tulsa)
- Oklahoma State University – Tulsa Campuses
- Oral Roberts University (while not officially on campus, ORU students are part of our Tulsa ISM community)
- Northeastern State University – Tahlequah
Why It Matters
As of 2023, Oklahoma is home to over 7,600 international students enrolled in colleges and universities (Open Doors Fact Sheet). These students represent some of the brightest minds from around the world. Many will return home to become leaders and influencers in their communities and nations.
In the greater Tulsa area alone, thousands of international students are navigating life in a new culture—often far from family and community. ISM has the incredible privilege of walking alongside them, offering support, friendship, and the message of God’s love—sometimes to those who have never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ before.
Our Team
Our work is carried out by a dedicated team of leaders and volunteers who serve across multiple campuses:
Eddie C.
Executive Director
Nat Y.
TU/ORU Campus Director
Terry L.
Assistant Director
Mark K.
OU/OSU Campus Director
Charles J.
Campus Planter
Dinah F.
Administrative Assistant
Our Strategic Partners
Our strategic partners work closely with our team to carry out the vision and mission of ISM.
Kevin and Vicki Holloway
Strategic Partner
Eileen Kadlec
Strategic Partner
Stevin Surajin
Strategic Partner
Executive Board
International Student Ministries is overseen by an Executive Board, which helps guide the vision and mission of the ministry:
Aaron Cobb
President
Kara Garrison
Vice-President
Candy Trenary
Secretary
Luke Macfarlan
Treasurer
Bowden McElroy
Officer
Jerry Lout
Officer
Carlie Sturgeon
Officer
Our Key Partners
Our key partners are other organizations that we work closely with to carry out our mission and vision. God has blessed us with great key partners!
Grace & Peace Presbyterian Church
Home of our ISM Office
www.graceandpeacetulsa.com
Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM)
Home of our TU Free International Lunches
www.tulsabcm.com
Share House
Our Furniture Ministry Partner
Sharehousetulsa.net
Mission Statement
ISM exists to glorify God by meeting the practical and spiritual needs of international students through acts of service and the sharing of the hope and love of Jesus Christ.
Our Values
We hold four key values that shape the heart of our ministry.
These values guide how we build a healthy, God-honoring community where real life transformation can happen. From our ISM Team to our Executive Board to every volunteer, we pray that as we live these values daily, the fruit of them will flow outward into our whole community—touching every student and every individual who experiences ISM.
Our values are not the finish line; they are a pathway. They help us pursue the greater purpose Jesus invited us into: a life “to the full.” A life not shaped by the patterns of this world, but transformed into the Kingdom culture Jesus demonstrated and calls us to embody.
Community
The stronger our community the better we achieve our vision
Relationships over being right
Unity among diversity
Expectation: God-at-work in and through our community.
We believe that the strength of our community directly impacts the success of our vision. Our focus is on building genuine relationships and we believe that real life change happens in community. Healthy community creates an environment where transformation happens.
Transformation
The best gift we bring to those around us is our transformed selves
Honest self-awareness
Becoming over doing
Expectation: God will work through our relationships, mission and vision to make us more like Jesus.
We recognize that the best gift we bring to those around us is our transformed selves. Our primary focus is on becoming more like Jesus and the more we do so the more we will produce the fruit God seeks – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.
Attentiveness
Listening intently within our community
Consensus led as we discern God’s leading together
Commitment to prayer both individually and corporately
Expectation: Guidance by the Holy Spirit both individually and corporately.
We believe that true vision emerges from a united community that listens intently to God’s guidance, both individually and collectively. Through prayer, patience, and consensus, we expect the Holy Spirit to lead us into unity and clarity of purpose. Our commitment to attentive listening ensures that we align our plans with God’s purposes, rather than our own agenda.
Service
Transparent leadership
Leading by serving
Humbly putting others before ourself
Expectation: God will guide our community as we serve in love and humility
In leadership and ministry, we prioritize serving others over advancing our own interests. True service reflects Christ’s humility, who, despite His divinity, chose to serve and sacrifice for the good of others. We lead by serving, with a heart of humility, seeking the welfare of others before our own desires. This selfless commitment fosters healthy Christlike leadership in our community.
