OUR HISTORY
Unshakable
conviction
The story of ordinary people stepping out to share the gospel in the world’s hardest places.
Evangelical Church of West Africa founders: Walter Gowans (23), Thomas Kent (25) and Rowland Bingham (21)
How it began
Some stories are born not from comfort or
convenience, but from an unshakeable conviction that no place on earth should remain beyond the reach of the gospel.
SIM has a rich history of founders who journeyed to difficult places to share the gospel. In Africa, Asia, and South America, these pioneers formed missions committed to reaching people who had never known the love of Christ. Over the years, these missions discovered they shared a similar passion, and joined under the single banner of SIM. Today SIM is known as Serving In Mission, and continues the legacy to partner with God’s people to respond to need, proclaim the gospel, and equip the Church.
Our founders
The story of SIM (at the time “Sudan Interior Mission”) began in 1893. Canadians Walter Gowans, Roland Bingham and American Thomas Kent had a vision to evangelise 60 million least-reached people of sub-Saharan Africa. Unable to interest established missions – most of which said reaching Sudan was impossible – the three set out alone.
Not long after they contracted malaria. Gowans and Kent died of the of disease in 1894 and Bingham returned to Canada to recuperate. Determined not to give up, he left for a second attempt only to catch malaria again and this forced him to return home for good. But Bingham’s work was not finished, unable to return to Africa, he became a mobiliser and sent out a third team. They successfully established a base 800 kilometres inland at Patigi, Nigeria in 1902. From there, the work of SIM began in Africa.
Other mission catalysts
Several other pioneering missionaries had set out into different regions of the world around that period (1889 to 1907).
Africa (1889 to 1894)
Several other pioneering missionaries had set out into different regions of the world around that period (1889 to 1907).
1889 South African General Mission (SAGM)
Founded by Martha Osborn, Spencer Walton and Andrew Murray.
1891 South East Africa General Mission (SEAGM) Founded by Martha Osborn and George Howe.
1894 SAGM & SEAGM merged. In 1965 it became Africa Evangelical Fellowship (AEF).
Asia-Pacific (1892 to 1968)
1892 Ceylon and India General Mission (CIGM)
Founded by Benjamin Davidson, a Scottish businessman.
1893 Poona and Indian Village Mission (PIVM)
Founded by Charles F. Reeve and E.W. McGavin from Australia.
1968 International Christian Fellowship (ICF). Merged from CIGM & PIVM.
South America
1907 Bolivian Indian Mission (BIM)
In 1965 it became Andes Evangelical Mission (AEM).
In 1965 it became Andes Evangelical Mission (AEM).
Founded by New Zealanders George Allen and Mary Stirling. After reading a report written by British Keswick evangelists in 1893 called “South America; The Neglected Continent”, this couple felt God’s calling to minister to the Quechua Indians.
The journey continues
The sacrifices of our founders laid the foundation, but the work is not finished. There are still communities waiting to hear the good news, and the invitation to step out in faith is as open today as it was in 1893.