Welcome
Bienvenue
We are Joe and Bethany Bindeman, and we are missionary appointees with Pioneers. In 2021 we will be serving in Marseille, France in church planting and missions mobilization ministries.
We would love the opportunity to share our stories and ministry vision in person with your church, small group, Bible study, etc. This website is to give you the nuts and bolts of who we are and where God has called us to serve.
Our Story
God called us individually to missions many years ago. We both felt convicted to obey Christ’s Great Commission to “Go” wherever God would send us. Bethany was first called to France around 2008. God spoke by an unmistakable, unshakeable, internal voice which said, “Go to France.” This set the course for the years to follow. After attending a Missions Sunday we were both re-invigorated about actively pursuing our calling to missions together and particularly to secular France.
SEE MORE ABOUT USFRANCE
Many know the charm and beauty of France but very few understand the deep spiritual need of what is one of the least evangelized nations on earth.
Spiritual Darkness
While France is indeed beautiful and inviting, on a spiritual level it is dark and uninviting. The French have become largely nonreligious while Muslims are growing rapidly in numbers and even converting unused cathedrals into mosques. The need for Christian workers has never been greater.
France has the 4th largest atheist population in the world.
40-50% do not believe in God. Today, Christian beliefs and values are thought of as roadblocks to progressive thinking in France.
Most have no connection with any Christian church.
Very few of the 65 million people of France have any understanding of the Good News. 50 million French people have no real link with any Christian church.
There are at least 10 Muslims for every 1 Evangelical Christian.
Islam has become the 2nd religion of France. Muslims now make up around 10% of the entire population- an estimated 6 million people. Most are from Africa and the Middle East. Sadly, around 150,000 are French converts.
The Bible is alien to the French – 80% have never even handled one.
Christianity remains practically unknown territory to most French people. While Bible sales have grown, still young people remain largely uninterested in religion and most have never read a Bible.
READ MORE ABOUT FRANCE
PIONEERS
Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initating church-planting movements in partnership with local churches.
Core Values
Core values are not much good unless they are carefully articulated, learned by the group and regularly reviewed. Pioneers Core Values reflect the passions, practices and personality of its members.
Learn moreHistory
God has truly blessed Pioneers since its founding more than 35 years ago. Today we have 3,212 international members serving on 354 teams in 104 countries among 297 unreached people groups.
Learn moreACCOUNTABILITY
Pioneers is a member of ECFA, an accreditation agency dedicated to helping Christian ministries earn the public’s trust through adherence to seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship.
Learn moreMinistry Vision & Plan
Our Ministry Vision is to establishes a church planting movement (CPM) through relational evangelism and discipleship, and to use our administrative and project management skills to establish a mobilization office in Marseille which will equip and send French believers to the mission field. While living among the French, we will strive to penetrate the spiritual darkness with the Light of Jesus Christ.
SEE MORE
Partnership
The Great Commission is truly a team effort that no one person could accomplish alone. Working together, churches, financial partners, prayer partners, and field workers are each making a valueable contribution to the Great Commission.
Find out more about Partnering with us.
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Click here to download a printable copy of our ministry overview packet. You can share this with your Missions Pastor or Mission Board, Small Group, Bible Study, or an individual who might be interested in our ministry.
DOWNLOAD PDFContact us
We would love to hear from you! You can use the form below to send us an email,
or you can reach us by phone (586) 524-5449