Pioneers UK was founded in 1904 as Sudan United Mission (SUM) by Karl Kumm and Lucy Guinness Kumm out of a sense of calling to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the peoples of the Sahel – the stretch of North Africa between the Niger and Nile Rivers, known then as the Sudan. Karl Kumm received his call to mission from a North Africa Mission (which became AWM) representative in England prompting his going to Egypt before this. SUM grew into a global movement, with sending gateways around the world. In 1988, in response to the growing partnership between SUM and locally-arising gospel ministries, and a sense that it was time to expand the mission beyond the Sudan, the mission changed its name to Action Partners.  Following suit with other Action Partners gateways around the world, Action Partners UK joined the Pioneers movement and became Pioneers UK in 2007. Based in Bawtry, South Yorkshire, Pioneers UK has been sending missionaries globally, including to the Arab World, since then.

No one has been taken over. SUM/Action Partners joined the Pioneers global family 17 years ago and, to reflect this, legally changed the name of the Mission to ‘Pioneers UK Ministries’. AWM joined the Pioneers family 13 years ago and, similarly, became AWM-Pioneers. (The two Missions remained as two autonomous UK-registered mission Societies even though they had joined the global ‘family’ or fellowship of Pioneers). For some years, the intention has been that these two sister Pioneers Gateways in the UK would, at some point, join into one Gateway. After many years of prayer and waiting on the Lord, we became a new legally merged entity … as well as a single Pioneers mobilisation Gateway – Pioneers UK & Ireland – on 1 July 2024. The charitable objectives of both AWM-Pioneers and Pioneers UK have been retained for the new organisation.

The partnership between Pioneers UK and AWM-Pioneers is not new. Our founders were closely related and our two Mission societies had both begun in response to the need for the gospel in North Africa. We have been working side-by-side in mission for over 120 years.

As two UK-registered societies who were also, independently, part of the global fellowship of Pioneers, joining our efforts as a single Pioneers organisation in the UK was a next logical step in our relationship, and has now come as the result of listening to the Lord’s guidance in prayer and scripture. The Lord impressed Isaiah 43:19 and Luke 5:1-11 on the hearts of the two directors during a season of focussed prayer in the summer of 2020. Since then, we have sought to follow the Lord’s guidance toward unity, resulting in bringing the two historic Mission societies into one single legal entity in July 2024.

As such, we can fully combine our joined efforts to fulfil not only the historic Objects of both former Missions, but also operate as a single mobilisation gateway for Pioneers here in the UK and Ireland.

When George and Jane Pearse founded the Mission to the Kabyles in 1881 (which later became known as the North Africa Mission) they were responding to a need for the gospel in Algeria. That mission eventually expanded to include North Africa, and later the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. The mission to Algeria continued, and continues to this day. As Pioneers UK & Ireland, our scope may expand and our look may change, but our mandate to support the spread of the gospel amongst Arab peoples, in the Arab World and globally, has not changed and will not change. Your partnership in the mission to the Arab World is vital to the continuation of that work.

In the Great Commission, Jesus called all Christians to be involved in cross-cultural mission. If your specific calling is to support mission financially, you are a vital part of our team. To us, you’re not just a donor – you’re a partner and a member of our community. As such, you can be certain that your financial support will continue to go exactly where you have indicated that it should go. As our internal systems and processes adapt to handle the combined supporter base of partners, a few details might change, but your money will always go where you have directed it to go and we will be available to walk with you through any changes that may arise.

No. For the time being, our bank details will not change. We are not intending to change this for the foreseeable future. There is no need to change your standing order or direct debit. All donations will continue to be processed as normal.

Your missionary will continue receiving your support as normal. Our banking details will not be changing in the immediate future. If you notice any unfamiliar activity in your bank account related to your giving, please let us know.

Our gift aid details will remain the same and online payments will still be processed as normal. All other finance systems will continue working as normal. As such, you may continue giving in your usual way without interruption.

No. For the time being, you do not need to make a new gift aid declaration. All our gift aid information and processes will remain the same. We will contact supporters in the future if changes are needed.

For the time being, please continue making out cheques to Arab World Ministries and posting them to us at PO Box 51, Loughborough, LE11 3WQ as normal.

When leaving a legacy to a charity in your Will, the legacy will follow the charity via the charity number. If the charity number changes, the legal process will ensure that the legacy is directed to the correct place via the new charity number. An executor can also track a historical trust via the Charity Commission website. You may prefer to change the charity name anyway and then you simply sign and date the amendment. If you want to ensure that your legacy is restricted to ministry in the Arab World, please indicate this in your Will.

In the event that our bank details or payment processes change, we will let you know via email and/or post to the address we have on file. Please contact us if your contact details change such as your name or address.

In February 2025, we intend to launch a new look to celebrate this landmark change. Over time, our publications will shift to reflect our new reality, while still providing the information, inspiration and relationship you expect.

For 2025, we will keep our publications the same, so you’ll continue to receive both print and digital communications as normal. Over time, our publications will need to shift to reflect our new reality, but our commitment to providing high-quality Arab World specific communications will not change. In the meantime, you will also have the opportunity to subscribe to our globally-focussed publications as well as continuing to enjoy our Arab World focussed offerings.

We shared the news of our legal merger with our staff teams first, then with our serving missionary members and retirees, and then with supporters and churches connected to us directly. We will share more information in our main supporter magazines this November (LINK for AWM-Pioneers supporters) and December (Reach for Pioneers UK supporters). The story of how the Lord spoke through Scripture and circumstances to lead both directors to seek this common vision for one sending office will be shared in both LINK and Reach and will hopefully encourage our supporters and all who receive the magazines. Please let us know at awmuk@awm-pioneers.org if you’d like us to send you a copy of LINK, if you do not normally receive it.

Our contact details will not change. As we expand to serve more members and mobilise more people to the harvest, we don’t want to lose our relational approach – so do please keep in touch with the same contact details that you have been using.

You may continue to connect with us in the usual ways:

Online: www.awm-pioneers.org

Email: awmuk@awm-pioneers.org

Telephone: 01509 239 525

Post: PO Box 51, Loughborough, LE11 3WQ

Thanks to modern technology, we are able to function as one office team with three physical offices and many staff working from home. Our physical offices are currently in Bawtry (South Yorkshire), Belfast and Loughborough. Our physical offices may move/merge at some point in the future, but we have no plans to move location at the present time.

All contact information will remain the same for the foreseeable future. You are invited to continue interacting with the same person or people you have been used to contacting. If anything changes in terms of personnel or contact information, you will be informed.

Both Pioneers UK and AWM-Pioneers have been sending missionaries to the Arab World for many years. Both missions were committed to prayer and advocacy for Arab peoples and mission to Arab peoples. Now that we have joined, as equals, to become Pioneers UK & Ireland, our capacity to send missionaries to and support mission in the Arab World will not only continue, but will increase.

We are committed to strengthening our historic Missions’ emphases on both Africa and the Arab world. We will continue to mobilise and train people for Arab world ministry and will continue to pursue special partnerships with African and Afro-Diaspora churches and organisations to help mobilise Global South Christians for ministry in the UK and around the world. We will continue supporting emerging Pioneers Gateways ministering in these regions. Alongside this, our passion and ability to mobilise to the whole world will continue to grow to match our new increased capacity.

Our commitment to mission to the Arab World will neither decrease nor be diluted. From as early as 1898, the histories of Pioneers UK (as Sudan United Mission) and AWM-Pioneers (as the North Africa Mission) were intertwined. Our founders were closely related and shared the same passion for the peoples of the Arab World. Our two missions have always worked together for a common goal. Now we work together as one mission with a continued commitment to the Arab World.

Our commitment and passion for bringing the life-changing message of Jesus to the Arab World remains unchanged. To that end, we will continue advocating for the Arab World through prayer initiatives, appeals, specific sharing with the UK church and in our branding.

Our short-term mission trips will continue for as long as people are called to go! Short term trips to the Arab World will continue, and we’ll now have the opportunity to send short-term missionaries to locations across the globe.