The Longings of a Pioneer

Pioneering isn’t about the here and now. It isn’t about chasing immediate gratification or walking trails that have already been worn in. It isn’t even about adventure, although adventure certainly awaits.

Pioneering is about leaving the familiar to chart a path for those who will come after. It’s about doing something today that will resound 40 years from now. Because Pioneers have a vision for what is yet to happen. They have a passion to scale heights that some would say are unreachable. To find things that many consider lost for good. To discover that there are places you can go together than you could never go alone.

These are the longings of a pioneer.

Our Story

While the hope of the gospel has been spreading for thousands of years, millions of people have not yet had an opportunity to hear it. Determined to reach the ends of the earth with the Good News, we dedicate ourselves to the relentless pursuit of the unreached.

For 40 years now, in partnership with their local churches, Pioneers missionaries have been using innovative and creative means to bring the gospel to every corner of the globe.

Founded in 1979 by former businessman Ted Fletcher and his wife, Peggy, Pioneers partners with local churches to make disciples and initiate church-planting movements among unreached peoples—cultural and ethnic groups without a self-sustaining witness to the gospel in their own cultures.

From business and education to healthcare, agriculture, the arts and more, 3,000-plus global members use their diverse gifts and experience to serve in needy communities. Whether in sprawling cities or rural villages, Pioneers teams make their homes in unreached contexts and learn new languages. They use innovative and creative means to build relationships and make disciples. They introduce people to the Bible and also share the gospel in culturally understandable ways.

Each missionary is commissioned by a sending church. The sacrificial gifts of friends, family and churches provide financial support. This makes it possible for cross-cultural missionaries to work alongside local believers with a heart to see disciples making disciples, worldwide.

Going Deeper

• Read our statement of faith.
• Explore our personality and core values.
• See how Pioneers answers 21 important and frequently asked questions.