|
|
1) What is SIM?
1) What is SIM? But in many ways, the better question is: Who is SIM? Because, more than anything else, SIM is people - a family of believers dedicated to reaching other people with the good news of Jesus Christ. One of the unique attractions of SIM is its abundance and variety of service opportunities. SIM members follow God's leading to diverse unreached people groups spanning Africa, Asia, South America, Europe, and North America. SIM members not only serve in far-flung geographical areas, they are "international" themselves. In fact, SIM missionaries represent over 30 nationalities! They also serve in a wide spectrum of career fields. In other words, the SIM family can use people of every race and nationality with almost any skill imaginable!
2) What is the history of SIM? One tributary is the Sudan Interior Mission, which began when three dedicated young men landed at Lagos, Nigeria. The oldest was only 25. But each man burned with a desire to establish a Christian witness among the 60 million unreached people of what was then known as the Soudan in sub-Saharan Africa. Unable to interest established missions - most of which said reaching the Soudan was impossible and possibly outside God's will - the three set out, following God alone. As was common in the nineteenth century, malaria overtook all three. Two of the men - Walter Gowans of Toronto, Canada, and Thomas Kent of Buffalo, New York - died of the fever. The third, English-born Rowland Bingham, returned to his home in Canada, ill, but still determined. Bingham made a second attempt to reach the Soudan, but once again came down with the fever and had to return home. Unable to return to Africa himself, Bingham sent out a third team. In 1902, the party successfully established a base 500 miles inland. From this base, the work of SIM began in Africa. In 1893, off the southern tip of India, the Ceylon and India General Mission (CIGM) began work among Ceylon's Singhalese Buddhists and Tamil Hindus. From that island, the work begun by B. Davidson, D. Gardner, W. Mallis, and G. Wilson, all Englishmen, expanded into South India, later reaching across the subcontinent and eventually to the Philippines. Also in 1893, Charles Reeves and M.E. Gavin left their homes in Australia. A Eurasian Christian from Poona, India, had come to Australia in search of missionaries to work in his home area. Reeves and Gavin answered the challenge and set sail under the name Poona and Indian Village Mission (PIVM). In 1968, the two India/Asian tributaries joined to become the International Christian Fellowship (ICF). In 1907 New Zealander George Allan landed in Bolivia to minister to the Quechua Indians. Allan's Bolivian Indian Mission grew in the years that followed to become the third tributary, the Andes Evangelical Mission (AEM). In the 1980s, AEM, ICF, and SIM joined hands and forces to become what was then known as SIM, the Society for International Ministries. The unique contributions of each group to this world-spanning river advance the common goal of taking Jesus' message of God's redeeming love to unreached people. The most recent addition occurred in 1998 when AEF (Africa Evangelical Fellowship) merged with SIM. AEF officially began its work in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1889 as the South Africa General Mission under the leadership of Andrew Murray, Mrs. Osborne, Spencer Walton, and George Howe. Starting from urban South Africa, missionary efforts spread into many of the other countries and people groups of southern Africa. Walter Gowans was a Presbyterian, as were George and Mary Allan. Thomas Kent was Congregational. Rowland Bingham was a member of the Church of England, then joined the Salvation Army, and was later ordained as a Baptist minister. Today's SIM missionary family is drawn from more than 50 denominations. In deciding that the mission should be interdenominational, SIM founder Rowland Bingham stated: "He is blind who does not recognize that in other denominations are some of the best saints that God and grace have made".
3) What do the letters SIM stand for?
4) What does SIM Believe?
5) How does SIM relate to other organisations? Evangelical Bodies - The policy of the Mission is to maintain fellowship with other groups of like evangelical position, while maintaining our ability to function independently when necessary. The Mission seeks to preserve its interdenominational character in view of its responsibility to the evangelical community of which it is a part. The Mission recognises each member's Christian liberty to hold varying views within its established policy. Non-evangelical Bodies - It may be necessary to relate to other groups (e.g. government or professional bodies) regarding common concerns. In no case does this involve organic union or mutual interdependence with non-evangelical bodies such as the World Council of Churches or its affiliates. Sponsorship by Other Organizations - When entering a new country of service under the sponsorship of another organisation, SIM will seek to cooperate with that organisation in every way, but will maintain the Mission's autonomy and responsibility for its programme within the Terms of Agreement with the sponsoring organisation and SIM's Statement of Relationships. All SIM policy and principles of relationship are detailed in the SIM International Manual and available for review upon written request.
6) Have I got what it takes to be a missionary?
7) Why join SIM? Here are 8 reasons to prayerfully consider:
Of course, SIM maintains a focus on its primary goal of reaching people for Jesus Christ and planting churches in his name. But that's a broad purpose, and there's no one right way to achieve it. There are as many ministries in SIM as there are missionaries, each reaching out in the way God leads.
8) How do I apply to SIM? If you would like to join the SIM team, there are two ways you can go:
Steps to Overseas Ministry
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
