The What and the Why of Pioneers
6 Nov 2024
It is true to say Pioneers has always been in a state of flux. Change is normal. Always will be.
Our current reality – serving churches to reach nations with the gospel of Christ Jesus – had its beginnings in the merger of several like-minded mission organisations. In the late 1990s, the South Sea Evangelical Mission and the Asia Pacific Christian Mission came together to formPioneers of Australia. This merger, and the blending of other entities across the world with Pioneers-USA, gave rise to Pioneers International. In 2001 Action Partners joined us here in Australia, and in 2010 Arab World Ministries joined to complete the family tree at this stage of our history.
Why? Because of a common God-given goal.
“A shared vision is not an idea… it is, rather, a force in people’s hearts… Few, if any forces in human affairs are as powerful… While adaptive learning is possible without vision, generative learning occurs only when people are striving to accomplish something that matters deeply to them.”
[Peter Senge on the Importance of a Shared Vision]
What matters deeply to Pioneers? Saving humans. Pioneers mobilises teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.
Today, Pioneers International comprises…
- 3,300 members (cross-cultural workers, staff, boards)
- from 88 countries
- serving on 391 teams
- in 105 countries
- among 260 people groups
These stats are always changing. As soon as they go to print, they change! People come and go. Work gets done. But, for sure, many, many churches and individuals throughout Australia play roles in saving unreached peoples by sending, nurturing, financing, praying, encouraging, travelling, exhorting, training, teaching, helping, serving, and much more.
What work? The ministry of the gospel – speaking God’s Word, teaching truth, striving with precious people, and demonstrating the love of God such that people are saved, disciples are made, churches are formed, God is glorified. We are clear about what we have been raised up to do.
The ‘movement’ activity involves at least four key ingredients…
1. Movement through the Word
Because the momentum of the gospel is in its words. According to Romans 1:16, the gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”
2. Movement through the Spirit
It is the gift of the Spirit that believers in Christ, making them children of God. He is the guarantee of eternal life. And so, we become Christ’s witnesses (Acts 1:8), our spiritual DNA.
3. Movement through Prayer
Prayer and fasting make crooked places straight. Followers of Jesus devote themselves to pray for wisdom, help and direction. They pray when gathered, ministering, making decisions, and sending out workers. They pray in physical crises, in prison, on beaches, and on the sea.
4. Movement through Suffering
According to Philippians 1:27-30, suffering for Christ’s sake is a gift that comes with salvation. When we bear it well, it gives incredible momentum to the gospel.
Change is par for the course. No surprise! What Pioneers does is help churches send and care for workers who strive to share the unchanging gospel with people in places yet to hear and understand it. We engage in this work because there is no other means by which people must be saved (acts 4:12); it is all about the Lord Jesus – His life, death and resurrection (1Corinthians 15:3-4).
Is God calling you to join the mission field? Get in touch.
