Discipleship for development is a ministry of the Navigators that was born of the merger in November 2007 between Mission: Moving Mountains and the Navigators. A prime mover of this merger was the recognition by the Africa Navigators of the need to reach the economically disadvantaged of Africa and to minister effectively among those who cannot or will not read and write.

Discipleship for development is a whole-life discipleship response to the socioeconomic reality of rural Africa. Oral facilitation and learning are at the heart of this process. Through Discipling for Development, the Navigators aim at building relationships of love with community members and equipping community leaders to discover and apply the resources God has given them to solve problems facing their communities. As the communities solve the problems that most plague them and use their resources in new ways, they will reach their God-intended potential.

This ministry is currently found in 11 African countries. These are Uganda, where the work began in 1982, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo Brazzaville. In West Africa the work is taking place in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. Much of this work has been launched since November 2007.