Interview with an edge coordinator with Pioneers

Q: Who founded your organization?
A: Business man Ted Fletcher founded Pioneers in 1979. It was originally called the World Outreach Fellowship.
Q: Why was your organization founded?
A: Fletcher felt God was calling him to reach the people groups in the world that had no access to the gospel. He applied to over 27 mission boards but was rejected by all of them for various reasons including denomination, vision and resource complications. So, Fletcher stepped out in faith and founded Pioneers with his wife Peggy.
Q: Why did you get involved with Pioneers?
A: Jane* got involved with Pioneers she went on an internship in Indonesia with Pioneers while she was in college. She felt God was calling her into full time ministry with Pioneers.
Q: What are Pioneers goals and values?
Pioneers has eight core values that it bases its ministry on. First is their passion for God. Second is reaching the unreached people groups of the world for the gospel. Thirdly Pioneers seeks to found and back Church-planting movements. Fourth is to build an ethos of Grace in the communities that they reach. Fifth is partnering with the indigenous local church. The sixth core value is being team centered. Seventh is the value of being Innovative and Flexible. Finally is the value of participatory servant leadership.
Q: If Pioneers was given $500,000 how would it be used?
A: Pioneers is a non-profit organization relying solely on Grants, donations and members raising their own funds. Any extra funds would be used to help send team to the unreached and to help start churches where the gospel has not been before.
Q: Are the people being reached receptive to the Gospel?
A: It depends on the area. Everywhere people are being touched by the power of the gospel. However, regions where it is illegal to be a christian there is obvious resistance and persecution for team members. In Afghanistan, a martyred Christian was quoted to have said that it was as if they were "chucking rocks out of the soil one by one so that a seed could be planted."
Q: What is your favorite aspect of working with Pioneers?
A: Jane's favorite aspect of working with Pioneers was seeing the unreached receive the hope and power of the gospel. She also loved to witness the power of prayer that carried Pioneers along since its founding.
Q: How do you see God working here?
A: There are less and less unreached people groups and regions because of the work of Pioneers. The ministry is growing and hopes to expand its international leadership as well as use more indigenous workers to plant churches.
Q: How can Christians pray for Pioneers?
A: For the continued and smooth internationalization of church planting. For the teams to grow in their bonds with each other and God. For unity and the same passion for reaching the lost. Finally, prayer is needed for more long term laborers in the field.
*names changed for security purposes