Pioneers mobilises teams to glorify God among unreached people groups by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.
One-third of the world’s population lives out of the reach of any church. Sadly, only 3 out of every 100 missionaries goes to work among that 1/3. We want to bring balance to this imbalance.
Today Pioneers has more than 3000 international missionary members, working in 320+ missions teams, in over 100 countries, among more than 200 unreached people groups, sent from 17 mission gateways around the world.
We continue to seek people who have a ‘pioneering’ spirit to join existing mission teams all over the world, to bring the light and truth of Christ to those who have never heard.
Core Values: The Heart of Pioneers
Statement of Faith
What We Believe
WE BELIEVE in the sovereignty and grace of the triune God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in creation, providence, revelation, redemption and final judgement.
WE BELIEVE in the divine inspiration and infallibility of the Old and New Testaments as originally given and their consequent entire trustworthiness and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
WE BELIEVE in the universal sinfulness and guilt of fallen human beings, making them subject to God’s wrath and condemnation.
WE BELIEVE in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ the incarnate Son of God as the sole and all-sufficient ground of redemption from the guilt and power of sin and from its eternal consequences.
WE BELIEVE in the justification of the sinner solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ who was crucified and bodily raised from the dead.
WE BELIEVE in the illuminating, regenerating, in-dwelling and sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit
WE BELIEVE in the priesthood of all believers, who form the universal Church, the Body of which Christ is the Head, and which is committed by His command to the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world.
WE BELIEVE in the expectation of the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and glory.
Guiding Grace Principle
Pioneers is an international fellowship comprised of Christians drawn from many different churches and backgrounds. Our desire is to work in harmony with our national church partners and Christian colleagues on the basis of essential doctrines as found in our Statement of Faith. These are doctrines on which, historically, there has been general agreement among all true followers of Christ.
In matters not addressed by our Statement of Faith, Pioneers acknowledges differing points of view provided they are based on the Bible as the supreme authority, and that no interpretation or practice will undermine the work of the gospel or the unity among those with whom we serve. We seek to live, work, and relate to one another in a spirit of love and humility, as outlined in Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 13, and other passages.
Global Connections Membership
Pioneers is a member of Global Connections. Global Connections is a growing, vibrant network of UK agencies, churches, colleges and support services linked together for resources, learning and representation. Together, we seek to serve, equip and develop churches in their mission in order to fulfill our shared vision of "mission at the heart of the church, the church at the heart of mission." Visit the Global Connections website.
Our History
Pioneers UK started life as Sudan United Mission in 1904. Founders Karl and Lucy Kumm worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the need for the gospel in the Sahel - the sub-saharan region of North Africa that stretches from the Nile in the east to Nigeria in the west. By late 1904, four men, including Karl Kumm, had arrived in Nigeria and established the first mission station. For the next eight decades, men and women with hearts aflame for Christ gave their lives to bringing the light of Christ to frontier lands of the Sahel.
In 1989, with a sense of leading to expand the scope of the work, the mission changed its name to Action Partners and began to branch out into other parts of Africa. In 2007, Action Partners joined the global Pioneers movement, further expanding our scope to include mission to the whole world. From Sudan and Nigeria to the ongoing heartbeat of our mission to the rest of the world, we are building on everything that has gone before and the faithful missionaries who have served so sacrificially in years gone by. As we continue to grow, one thing remains constant – the Father’s heart for the least-reached peoples. We will continue sharing that heart until all have heard.
Stories
From isolated villages in the heart of the Amazon to the packed high rises of Tokyo, they are mothers and fathers, they have hopes and aspirations, they have struggles and sorrows. In truth, they are not so different from any one of us. In fact, it is impossible to build a singular profile of the unreached, apart from one thing: Simply by virtue of being born when and where they were, they are entirely without knowledge of the love, grace and hope that come from Christ.
The Great Commission isn’t just for the few who feel ‘called’ to go to the ends of the earth. It’s for everyone who calls themselves by His name. The question we must each ask ourselves if we’re really serious about following in Jesus’ footsteps is, "Which part of ‘Go ye therefore and make disciples’ am I meant to fulfil?"
The central concern of the Bible with the demands for justice for the poor and oppressed, means that Christian mission cannot accept the usual account of globalisation at face value, but must notice and respond to the needs of masses of people who exist on the margins of this new world.
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