Our Story

Arab World Ministries (AWM) springs from a rich mission history rooted back in the 1880s.

The ministry originally brought together North Africa Mission, Algiers Mission Band, Southern Morocco Mission, and Dades Valley Fellowship.

The name Arab World Ministries was adopted in 1987 to reflect the passion of this growing mission family for reaching Muslims of the Arab world – wherever they may be found – with the good news of Jesus Christ.

After prayerful discernment, the mission joined the dynamic Pioneers movement in order to make an even bigger impact for God’s Kingdom among unreached people groups in the Arab world and beyond.

1876

The First Streams of AWM

It all began in Algeria in 1876 when George and Jane Pearse arrived from England to share the gospel with French occupying troops. On their first night, they saw what seemed to be a pile of rags lying on the roadside. Early the next morning they discovered that the ‘rags’ were actually two men who had died of starvation during the night.

The Pearses returned to England with a heart to reach the poor people of Algeria. They shared their passion with friends who encouraged them to begin a mission – and even gave them their first donation.

1881

The Mission

The Mission was established in 1881 and was initially called The Mission to the Kabyles and other Berber Races before it took on the more memorable name North Africa Mission. As the vision was shared, more joined taking numbers up to 115 by the year 1900 – working in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

1959

Broadcasting in the Atlas Mountains

In 1959, one mission family had the idea to begin broadcasting the gospel via radio in North Africa. Two years later, radio broadcasting was launched from a specially designed studio in the Atlas Mountains. The correspondence and radio ministries started to expand at a phenomenal rate, but the work in North Africa was under constant threat.

1961

Southern Morocco Mission

Southern Morocco Mission incoporated

1964

Radio School of the Bible

In 1964, for security reasons, the radio broadcasting moved from North Africa and the Radio School of the Bible (RSB) was founded in Marseille, France. Within a year, 5,300 new students requested Bible courses with 1,032 professions of faith. Today, Arab World Media communicates the good news through the internet, YouTube, social networking and mobile phone messaging – as well as radio and satellite TV. Each month around 100,000 Arabs visit Arab World Media‘s Arabic ministry website.

1965

Algiers Mission Band

Algiers Mission Band mission incorporated.

1983

Dades Valley Fellowship

Dades Valley Fellowship mission incorporated.

2011

Arab World Ministries joins Pioneers

In January 2011, after two years of prayer and fruitful discussion, Arab World Ministries (AWM) made the strategic decision to join the Pioneers family. AWM recognised the need for more workers and greater resources to meet the increasing cry from Arab world Muslims to share with them the good news of Jesus Christ. The merger with Pioneers provides greater capacity to release many more workers from the UK and around the world into these nations as together we work to build Christ’s Church among the peoples of the Arab world.

Read more about our history here.

WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE PIONEERING TODAY?

A New River

Today, more than 380 people are involved in a wide variety of church planting activities among Arab world people. The social unrest in parts of the Arab region coupled with the impact of Christian media in the region is providing much greater opportunities for the gospel.

The Pioneers Family

God has greatly blessed Pioneers since its founding more than 30 years ago. Today we have 3,212 international members serving on 354 teams in 104 countries among 297 people groups. Pioneers partners with more than 2,000 churches to send these cross-cultural workers to least-reached peoples.

3212

MEMBERS

18

OFFICES

104

COUNTRIES

1979

ESTABLISHED

WHAT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO MISSION?

Pioneers Today

Pioneers has 18 mobilisation offices across the world including: North America, Europe, North Africa & Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South-east Asia & the Pacific.

PIONEERS WORLDWIDE