Christian Life
SIM Australia & NZ Celebrate 100 Years!
When Rowland Bingham visited Australia and New Zealand in 1926 and 1927, he could scarcely have imagined he was starting teams that would continue for 100 years and more, taking […]
When Rowland Bingham visited Australia and New Zealand in 1926 and 1927, he could scarcely have imagined he was starting teams that would continue for 100 years and more, taking the Gospel to places where Christ is least known. As SIM New Zealand’s director, Rob Reynolds, reflected:
Who would’ve thought that the courage of one person would lead to an organisation that is now 100 years old and has sent people from all over New Zealand to serve cross culturally on every continent (except Antarctica)!
SIM had a vision to reach the more than 12 million people in East Africa who were almost completely unreached with the Gospel.
Australia and New Zealand had greater sea access than the US or Europe to Ethiopia, and Bingham, one of SIM’s founding fathers, hoped to mobilise more people from these countries to serve in the region.
One of the first to heed the call was Glen Cain from Australia, who set out in 1927. In 1933, he married Winnifred Robertson from New Zealand. Together, they served in Homacho, in the south of Ethiopia, until they were forced to leave in 1937.
Even before SIM offices were set up officially in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland, there were Australians and New Zealanders who were called to serve through SIM. To take just one example, Jack Nicholson was a New Zealander who applied to serve in Nigeria in 1924 but had to apply through SIM Canada because there was no SIM council in New Zealand.
Both New Zealand and Australia are commemorating their centenaries, seeing it as a chance not only to honour the past, but to embrace the future. SIM International Director Phil Bauman will visit both countries in November, attending special centenary events.
As Mal reflected on the stories of those who have served with SIM over the past 100 years, he said:
There are stories of hardship and sacrifice that are often hard to explain or understand. But the one thing we do know is that the author of all of these stories is God Himself.
As New Zealand and Australia celebrate their centenaries, they are trusting God in looking ahead to the future. Much has been accomplished, but there is still much more to be done.
