Whatever God calls us to do in his worldwide mission, we are connectors. A person’s choice to follow Christ (or not) is a personal one, but before they can consider the claims of Jesus they need believers like you and me to share relevant information with them.
When we link unreached peoples with Jesus, we become conduits of blessing. We have experienced firsthand the difference Jesus makes in life, in family, in society and we can’t keep this news to ourselves. When we become Christians, nothing is ever the same again – we have new life, new hope, new priorities, new motives, new future, new everything! Unreached peoples are yet to experience this reality for themselves. This is what we communicate as we serve.
Pioneers stands ready to do everything we can to help you be the point of connection where Jesus and unreached peoples meet.
It starts here.
Simon Longden
National Director
Our Mission
Pioneers mobilises teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.
Our Board
Meet the Board Helping Us Reach the World
The Pioneers Board comprises dedicated servants representing a range of church backgrounds who generously volunteer time and talent to global mission. Each loves the Lord Jesus and brings to the important task of governance expertise from valuable perspectives: church life, finance, management, theological education, healthcare and cross-cultural experience.
Pioneers National Director, Simon Longden, attends board meetings, and Chief Financial Officer, Sandra Punithan, attends in a non-voting capacity. Sandra’s professional assistance with increasingly complex finance and government compliance matters is a rich blessing.
We’ve asked each member to share briefly about themselves and why they serve on the Pioneers Board:
Judy Fitzmaurice ->1999 Board Chair / Chair of Pioneers International Council: Married to Mark, three married children, and two brand new grandchildren. On the leadership team at Macquarie Baptist Church, coordinating an English teaching ministry. Involved in medical student education. Judy and Mark served with APCM as young doctors at Rumginae Hospital in Papua New Guinea. “There is nothing more satisfying than involvement in Kingdom work. The global family of Pioneers is a praying, worshipping, passionate, diverse family united by a commitment to take the gospel to unreached peoples. It is my joy to have been part of this family for most of my adult life!”
Tim Silberman -> 2014 Vice Chair: Teaching at Sydney Missionary and Bible College, helping prepare people to serve to the ends of the earth. Undertaking PhD research about how local churches can do that better. Married to Peggy and father of three kids. “I love serving with Pioneers because of the privilege to be part of an international family of diverse people through whom God works to bring people from every nation, tribe and tongue into his Kingdom.”
Ian Fryer -> 2002 Treasurer Married to Sharon and father of two growing boys. Actuary, Head of Research at Chant West, which helps people choose a good super fund. Board members at a Christian school that is seeking to build Christian community, the ideal context for students to understand their place in God’s world. “It’s a privilege to be part of Pioneers, helping facilitate Aussie families bring the good news to people of all nations. I am always encouraged by the ways our families love the communities they serve, thus bringing glory to God.”
Tim Macready -> 2011 Secretary: Married to Abra and dad to two children. Chief Investment Officer for Christian Super, managing the retirement savings of 28,000 Australians, and for Brightlight, allocating financial capital for financial return and positive impact. Elder at a local Presbyterian church. “I love Pioneers because of the opportunity to serve alongside a group of people who passionately want to see the name of Jesus proclaimed around the world and seeing how God is working in and through our members.”
James Gow -> 2014 Board Member Working at Logosdor, a small not-for-profit creative children’s ministry organisation: managing staff, finances and relationships with global partners. Involved in a local church, leading services and facilitating a Bible study. Married to Min and father of three. “I draw encouragement hearing how Pioneers members and their families are serving the Kingdom. It is wonderful to use skills developed elsewhere to help ensure Pioneers is governed well so practical things, personal safety and flow of finances, etc, support the work. It is encouraging to walk alongside other Board members as I learn from them.”
Graham Poole -> 2017 Board Member: Married to Linda and dad of three. A doctor in Tasmania working among refugees and in community general practice. Elder at a local church and enjoys chatting with health care workers and others to help them find their special place in God’s mission. “It is a privilege to hear stories of God raising up humble followers of Jesus to live among those who do not yet know Him. It is a joy to see passion for God, servant-heartedness and a life-giving ethos of grace embodied in these wonderful brothers and sisters.”
Danna Grills -> 2020 Board Member A busy mum of five aged 4-15. In 2013, planted a church with husband Andrew: City on a Hill Geelong. A lawyer with no time to practice law just now, but happily supporting Andrew in ministry, coordinating innumerable kids’ activities, and serving at church and in a Christian school community. “I am new to the Board, but already I love the way Pioneers enables people to use their talents, gifting and calling to serve throughout the world. Serving on the Board helps me understand more clearly how the local church in Australia can support mission worldwide.”
Our Faith
WE BELIEVE that the Holy Scriptures, consisting of Old and New Testaments, were originally given by God, divinely inspired, without error, infallible, and are entirely trustworthy and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice.
WE BELIEVE in one God, Creator of all things, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
WE BELIEVE in our Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, His virgin birth, sinless life, divine miracles, vicarious and atoning death on the cross, bodily resurrection, ascension and exaltation, mediatorial work, and personal, imminent and visible return in power and glory.
WE BELIEVE that Adam and Eve, created in the image of God, were tempted by Satan, the god of this world, and fell; that their sin has passed to all people, who as a result are lost, are unable to save themselves from the wrath of God, and need to be saved.
WE BELIEVE that salvation is a gift of God to those who repent and personally believe in Jesus Christ; that it is accomplished by God’s grace through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
WE BELIEVE in God the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers enabling them to live holy lives, and to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ, despite opposition from the world, the flesh and Satan.
WE BELIEVE in the spiritual unity of all true believers, the universal Church, the Body of Christ.
WE BELIEVE in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of eternal life with God, they that are lost unto the resurrection of eternal condemnation separated from God.
WE BELIEVE that Christ commanded the Church to go into all the world and make disciples of all peoples, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching those who believe to obey all that Christ commanded.
Our Values
Passion for God
Our passion is to glorify God throughout the nations of the world, through obedience to the Bible and by living and proclaiming the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is an act of worship to actively participate in some way in the Great Commission.
Unreached People Groups
Some cultures in the world have no neighbours who can tell them about Jesus Christ. Our hope is to share God’s love with those people in places where the gospel is yet to be effectively proclaimed.
Church Planting Movements
We are committed to helping people know and follow Jesus. And to the process of empowering and equipping those believers to become disciple makers of others – bodies of believers that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, are intentional about planting other churches.
Teams
We don’t do lone rangers. We accomplish our mission through God’s people mobilised from around the world. Our entire ethos and structure rests on the strength, growth, creativity, diversity and cohesiveness of our teams.
Ethos of Grace
International teams illustrate to the unreached that what we offer is Christ—not culture. We affirm that God’s grace operates uniquely in the lives of all believers. In all our relationships we endeavour to cultivate an atmosphere of mutual acceptance and respect which encourages each of us to attain our full potential in Christ.
Local Church Partnership
The mandate for mission has everything to do with the church. So our work today has everything to do with the local church, from the beginning of the sending process to church-based movements around the world.
Servant Leadership
We empower our members through a decentralised structure that emphasises team-based servant leadership and an interactive approach to decision-making, based on mutual trust and accountability.
Innovation and Flexibility
The message of God’s love in Jesus Christ is timeless. And there are a thousand ways to make that message known. We encourage men and women to use their gifts, skills and personalities to communicate the gospel for the sake of precious people everywhere.
