A unique Christian mission agency is celebrating its 35th anniversary this month. MissionAssist – originally known as Wycliffe Associates (UK) – was started in 1989 by a group of five people: Barrie & Marie Wetherill, David & Rachel Landin, and Margaret Lowe. Over the years it has grown beyond the UK into a network of members across more than 30 countries, with the aim of “serving world mission from home”.
The ministry started in a small way when the founders placed a magazine advert to appeal to Christians who could use a home computer and wanted to help those serving in mission overseas. Responses flooded in and the vision grew to embrace a wide of tasks that front-line mission teams did not have either the time or the specific skills to get done by themselves.
A prime example is the Worldwide Electronic Bible and Book Service (WEBBS), also known as the Bible Digitisation Project. One beneficiary, Hanlie Rossouw of the Bible Society of South Africa (BBSA) explains, “South Africa is a diverse country with 12 official languages and a rich history of Bible translation. Our mission is to provide affordable Bibles for everyone in their heart language. We are grateful to MissionAssist for their assistance with digitisation so that we can transform some of the older, printed translations of the Bible and make them available in modern formats for mother tongue speakers.”
Celebration is the theme of MissionAssist’s annual conference this year, with guest speaker Gavin Calver, CEO, Evangelical Alliance. During the weekend in May, members will be presented with a souvenir book compiled for the occasion, “Celebrating 35 Years of MissionAssist”, with a Forward by Hannes Wiesmann, Assistant to the director of Wycliffe Global Alliance.
“One of the defining characteristics that sets MissionAssist apart is your unwavering servant heart. Over the years, your organisation has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to assist others and to go out of your way to be able to serve.” Hannes Wiesmann, Wycliffe Global Alliance
Sarah McQuay, who was appointed CEO last year after six years as MissionAssist’s Director of Services, writes, “the impact of thousands of volunteers who have been involved during the first 35 years is not measured numerically but rather by examples of the way individuals and communities are touched and changed by what we are able to do for God.”
“Thank you so much for this work, which will enable deaf schools in francophone countries around the world to access this school plan.”Client of MissionAssist’s Translation Service
“Amazing. Thank you for offering this Bible to read online for free. This is the first time in my life I have been able to read and understand the Bible and I am 48 years old!”Blythe, who reads the EasyEnglish Bible at www.easyenglish.bible
“I have used the Shell Books that you have written for me in the Faith and Agriculture Courses that I have been running. The readers appreciate the simplicity of language which makes these books easier to read on this subject than any other information available to them.”Client of MissionAssist’s Adult Literacy Service, known as Shell Books
In MissionAssist’s annual report for the Charity Commission, Carwyn Graves, Deputy Chair of Trustees, summarised the public benefits, activities and achievements during the year ending November 2023, as well as presenting the financial statement and overall conclusions. He extended the Trustees’ profound thanks to all the volunteers who give unstintingly of their time, skills, resourcefulness and energy in serving world mission from home.
Members, supporters, partner organisations and other well-wishers are welcome to send their greetings, for example via MissionAssist’s page on Facebook or LinkedIn.