Pioneers, Inc. 
Summary
Pioneers, Inc. ("Pioneers") strives to evangelize and plant churches among the major blocks of unreached people worldwide. Pioneers work in areas of the world where few or no churches exist. Pioneers works through innovative strategies, often using non-traditional methods to initiate church planting movements among the least reached peoples around the globe. Pioneers was founded in 1979 by Ted and Peggy Fletcher.
This organization is an international non-denominational mission nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. It is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
Contact information
Mailing address:
10123 William Carey Dr.
Orlando, FL 32827-6020
Website: www.pioneers.org
Phone: (407) 382-6000
Email: info@pioneers.org
Organization details
EIN: 521206938
CEO/President: Mr. Steve Richardson
Chairman: Dr. William Newbrander
Board size: 10
Founder: Ted and Peggy Fletcher
Year founded: 1976
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 09/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1987
Purpose
Pioneers, Inc. ("Pioneers") strives to evangelize and plant churches among the major blocks of unreached people worldwide. Pioneers work in areas of the world where few or no churches exist. Pioneers works through innovative strategies, often using non-traditional methods to initiate church planting movements among the least reached peoples around the globe. Pioneers was founded in 1976 by Ted and Peggy Fletcher.
This organization is an international non-denominational mission nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. It is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
Mission statement
Pioneers uses the following to communicate its mission:
Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.
Statement of faith
Pioneers uses the following to express its statement of faith:
WE BELIEVE that the Holy Scriptures, consisting of Old and New Testaments, were originally given by God, divinely inspired, without error, infallible, and are entirely trustworthy and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice.
WE BELIEVE in one God, Creator of all things, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
WE BELIEVE in our Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, His virgin birth, sinless life, divine miracles, vicarious and atoning death on the cross, bodily resurrection, ascension and exaltation, mediatorial work, and personal, imminent, and visible return in power and glory.
WE BELIEVE that Adam and Eve, created in the image of God, were tempted by Satan, the god of this world, and fell; that their sin has passed to all people, who as a result are lost, are unable to save themselves from the wrath of God, and need to be saved.
WE BELIEVE that salvation is a gift of God to those who repent and personally believe in Jesus Christ; that it is accomplished by God's grace through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
WE BELIEVE in God the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers enabling them to live holy lives, and to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ despite opposition from the world, the flesh, and Satan.
WE BELIEVE in the spiritual unity of all true believers, the universal Church, the Body of Christ.
WE BELIEVE in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of eternal life with God, they that are lost unto the resurrection of eternal condemnation separated from God.
WE BELIEVE that Christ commanded the Church to go into all the world and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching those who believe to obey all that Christ commanded.
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Foreign Missions
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 137 of 593 | 29 of 94 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 202 of 593 | 37 of 94 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 248 of 593 | 40 of 94 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 171 of 593 | 34 of 94 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 8% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 93% | 95% | 95% | 94% | 94% | 98% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 7% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 6% | 2% |
| Operating ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 82% | 84% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 84% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 98% | 101% | 98% | 97% | 98% | 94% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 80% | 84% | 82% | 81% | 81% | 79% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 2% | -1% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 6% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 3% | -2% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 9% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 11% | 11% | 11% | 12% | 12% | 11% |
| Investing ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.04 | 1.65 | 1.49 | 1.43 | 1.38 | 1.42 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.73 | 1.79 | 1.84 | 1.87 | 1.86 | 1.54 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.18 | 2.96 | 2.74 | 2.67 | 2.57 | 2.18 |
| Liquidity ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 8.84 | 6.55 | 13.87 | 16.61 | 13.08 | 12.88 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.11 | 0.15 | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.08 | 0.08 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.72 | 3.44 | 4.06 | 4.23 | 4.31 | 5.09 |
| Solvency ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 11% | 9% | 11% | 11% | 13% | 5% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 7% | 8% | 9% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 77% | 55% | 60% | 62% | 63% | 67% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Cash | $973,978 | $1,248,472 | $1,830,915 | $1,492,369 | $4,734,883 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Short-term investments | $22,915,769 | $22,899,030 | $21,252,301 | $21,114,147 | $19,214,551 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $23,889,747 | $24,147,502 | $23,083,216 | $22,606,516 | $23,949,434 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $17,877,510 | $18,374,178 | $18,790,553 | $18,741,332 | $12,263,487 |
| Other long-term assets | $942,572 | $1,847,360 | $1,294,369 | $710,875 | $609,459 |
| Total long-term assets | $18,820,082 | $20,221,538 | $20,084,922 | $19,452,207 | $12,872,946 |
| Total assets | $42,709,829 | $44,369,040 | $43,168,138 | $42,058,723 | $36,822,380 |
| Liabilities | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $3,646,377 | $1,740,991 | $1,389,385 | $1,727,974 | $1,859,698 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $3,646,377 | $1,740,991 | $1,389,385 | $1,727,974 | $1,859,698 |
| Debt | $0 | $2,950,000 | $3,500,000 | $3,900,000 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $2,950,000 | $3,500,000 | $3,900,000 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $3,646,377 | $4,690,991 | $4,889,385 | $5,627,974 | $1,859,698 |
| Net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Unrestricted | $34,387,848 | $16,499,940 | $15,759,354 | $15,671,989 | $15,747,085 |
| Temporarily restricted | $4,675,604 | $23,178,109 | $22,519,399 | $20,758,760 | $19,215,597 |
| Permanently restricted | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net assets | $39,063,452 | $39,678,049 | $38,278,753 | $36,430,749 | $34,962,682 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Total contributions | $66,593,558 | $64,381,310 | $59,540,335 | $56,092,385 | $54,316,030 |
| Program service revenue | $1,418,161 | $1,343,917 | $1,227,944 | $1,086,442 | $972,284 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $1,199,265 | $1,409,682 | $2,303,330 | $2,008,608 | ($49,861) |
| Other revenue | $786,618 | $486,488 | $296,107 | $386,536 | $98,382 |
| Total other revenue | $3,404,044 | $3,240,087 | $3,827,381 | $3,481,586 | $1,020,805 |
| Total revenue | $69,997,602 | $67,621,397 | $63,367,716 | $59,573,971 | $55,336,835 |
| Expenses | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Program services | $59,085,860 | $55,111,445 | $51,119,019 | $48,178,735 | $43,779,298 |
| Management and general | $7,701,684 | $7,103,841 | $7,169,938 | $6,902,449 | $5,648,920 |
| Fundraising | $3,824,655 | $4,006,815 | $3,230,755 | $3,024,720 | $2,680,025 |
| Total expenses | $70,612,199 | $66,222,101 | $61,519,712 | $58,105,904 | $52,108,243 |
| Change in net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($614,597) | $1,399,296 | $1,848,004 | $1,468,067 | $3,228,592 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($614,597) | $1,399,296 | $1,848,004 | $1,468,067 | $3,228,592 |
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
History
PIONEERS was founded in 1976 by Ted and Peggy Fletcher. In 1994, World Outreach Fellowship merged with PIONEERS, and today the organization continues to grow as it brings the gospel to unreached people groups.
Ted met Christ at a Billy Graham Campaign during the Korean War. At that time he began thinking about God's concern for all peoples and began praying for a part in reaching people of other cultures with the gospel. As a promise, God gave him Psalm 2:8, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." From a successful business career and a rise to the position of national sales manager with the Wall Street Journal, Ted and Peggy stepped out in faith to found a new mission agency-PIONEERS. Their vision was to mobilize missionaries to reach the unreached peoples of the world.
1976 Founded as World Evangelical Outreach in Sterling, VA by Ted and Peggy Fletcher
1979 First career missionaries sent to Nigeria
1979 First summer missionaries sent to Papua New Guinea
1980 Opened the field of Papua New Guinea under the direction of Asia Pacific Christian Mission (APCM)
1982 PIONEERS-India began, a ministry by nationals
1983 First Candidate Orientation Program held
1984 Name changed to PIONEERS
1988 John Fletcher appointed as Executive Director
1992 Relocated U.S. mobilization base from Washington, D.C. to Orlando, FL
1993 International Leadership Team established
1994 Incorporated World Outreach Fellowship into PIONEERS ministries
1994 PIONEERS-Canada became a mobilization base
1994 PIONEERS-USA purchased property in Orlando, FL for future headquarters/training site
1994 Began process of formally internationalizing the mission
1994 PIONEERS-Africa established, based in Ghana, West Africa
1997 Cooperation of Asia Pacific Christian Mission and South Pacific Partners to form PIONEERS of Australia and PIONEERS-New Zealand
1998 Dr. C. Douglas McConnell appointed first International Director.
1998 PIONEERS-USA moves into new administrative facilities.
1999 Steve Richardson appointed as U.S. Director/President.
2001- Action Partners, an Australian mission agency, joins the Pioneers family, and a new mobilizatio base begins in Brazil.
2002- Pioneers sends 162 summer missionaries and dedicates the Frizen Missionary Training Center.
2003- John Fletcher begins term as Pioneers sencond international director.
Program accomplishments
The following are some of the ministry's accomplishments:
- Innovative businesses resulting in Asian church-plants and a growing church in an Eastern European city.
- Maintaining steady and strong growth during a time of overall weakness in personnel recruitment among mission agencies; IFMA statistics show PIONEERS among the top organizations of its kind in North America.
- Eighty-one candidates were appointed to missionary service in 1999.
- A significant recent milestone was the appointment of Steve Richardson as U.S. Director/President. His leadership experience and knowledge of PIONEERS will be invaluable as he leads PIONEERS-USA into the new millennium.
- The completion and occupancy of the 10,000 square foot US headquarters office. This building has been fully funded.
PIONEERS programs and services include evangelism and church planting, ministry to constituents, training, short-term overseas ministries, and membership development.
Following are explanations of how PIONEERS implements each of these methods. The percentages refer to the approximate proportion of total time/energy/money expended on each method.
METHOD 1 (40%). Friendship Evangelism.
The missionaries' task is to build relationships with local people as a natural part of their ministry. It is out of these relationships that people come to know Christ. This approach begins with language and culture learning and continues through the daily activities of life as a missionary.
METHOD 2 (30%). Disciple New Believers.
The process of discipling begins as part of evangelism and continues after conversion until the new believer is mature enough to take on the responsibilities of discipleship. Every context will present different challenges to the discipling process, but the goal of mature believers is the same.
METHOD 3 (15%). Develop Local Church Leadership.
As churches are formed through the evangelism and discipleship, leadership must be identified and developed in order to guide the church. These are critical responsibilities of each missionary and church leader. Developing leadership includes the ongoing mentoring of the leaders, education and training, and developing programs and structures to facilitate the growth of the church. Typically, this process starts soon after the new believers show evidence of gifting in areas of leadership.
METHOD 4 (15%). Community and Economic Development and Education.
A natural part of the missionary task is demonstrating the love of God within the communities in which the missionary works. The goal of community development is to facilitate projects which empower individuals and bring sustainable development to the wider community. Development projects include educational programs, health, agriculture, natural resource development, small businesses and a range of other projects within the context of a local community.
Needs
PIONEERS expresses its needs as follows:
Prayer:
PIONEERS wants to glorify God in places where the name of Christ has not been known. This will only happen as we move forward as people of prayer. PIONEERS is trusting God for significant new breakthroughs in days to come. Your prayers are vital. Daily prayer requests can be obtained by requesting the PIONEERS Touch the World prayer guide.
GO:
PIONEERS mobilizes teams of missionaries to go where there are no churches capable of reaching the people for whom Christ died. We are not dissuaded by the difficulties in achieving our mission, no matter how large they seem. We will use innovative means to enter and stay until people are presented with the gospel and brought to a saving knowledge of Christ. Our commitment does not stop there. We are called to see those new believers formed into churches with a clear vision and understanding of how to further the mission by planting other churches among their own people and beyond. PIONEERS workers serve God in over 45 countires. We invite you to join us in fulfilling this exciting task. We have long-term, short-term, and summer opportunities.
Give:
PIONEERS ministries are funded through the faithful contributions of individuals, churches, businesses, and foundations. Funding opportunities are available for both field and administrative needs.