Who We Are
Australian Board 2011
From left to right Standing Paul Mosiecjzuk, Christine Sexton, Wendell Merchant, Christine Taylor, Kevin Reid Kneeling Neil Clark, Selwyn SextonSowers International formed a Board in Australia in 1993 to support Australian missionary candidates. Then in 1994 the Board sent Selwyn and Christine to Africa.
Since 1994 the work of Sowers International in Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and more recently in Mozambique has developed and expanded under their leadership.When they first arrived, there were no National Boards and one active Level 4 Sower. Today, there are National Boards, National Leaders and many trainers and evangelism teams.
The Gospel is being preached and hundreds are coming to Christ and joining local churches. Many new churches are being planted.The full range of the SOWERS Program training can now be done by Nationals in Zambia and Malawi, making these countries fully self sufficient in the SOWERS Program training. The SOWERS Program is now reaching into other countries in the region.
About Sowers International
Purpose
The purpose of SOWERS INTERNATIONAL is to win the lost to Christ by initiating and advancing effective local church based open air evangelism.
Distinctives
SOWERS, an international ministry, has developed with the following distinctives:
- It is an interdenominational missionary organisation
- It is committed primarily to the evangelistic opportunities in countries where people are accessible through open air evangelism.
- It believes that the local church is God's agent for evangelism
- It is engaged in: motivating, training and encouraging church based open air evangelists and, mobilising indigenous churches for open air evangelism and church planting
- It is a service agency to the church and encourages local churches to plant new churches through their SOWERS team.
Faith Mission
SOWERS INTERNATIONAL is a faith mission. Missionaries receive prayer and financial support from partners such as churches, friends and others who believe in their ministry. Nearly all staff are nationals in developing countries who speak the language and understand the spiritual and cultural environment in which they work.
Financial
We honour any stated designation. In the event that an appeal is over subscribed or a ministry ceases to function, the funds will be redirected to the project or missionary that most closely approximates the intent of the donor. National workers are far more cost effective than expatriates in almost every case. SOWERS has low administrative overheads which makes SOWERS highly cost effective and sound stewards of monies entrusted to us. SOWERS finances are audited annually and are open to scrutiny.
History
The SOWERS Program was developed in the Philippines in 1975 by New Zealand missionaries from Open Air Campaigners (OAC). In 1988 OAC released the Program to newly formed SOWERS INTERNATIONAL which was headquartered in New Zealand. Two decades later, with the work now firmly established internationally, the current leadership structure was created.
Leadership Structure
An international Governance Board oversees the Mission, representing National Boards. An Executive team is responsible to the Governance Board for international coordination. National Boards supervise the work in each country