International Mission
The mission goes global.
St Nics seeks to join God’s mission wherever and however we can in Durham and through international ministry partnerships. We support several individuals and organisations that are committed to proclaiming the gospel and showing the love of Christ all over the world through Bible teaching, Bible translation, rural development and more.
Our Mission Partners
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19
The Bible Society
The work of The Bible Society extends beyond distributing the Bible as a book. They have an extensive multi-media department producing films, Scripture portions and magazines all portraying Bible stories. The Bible Society presents the Bible in formats suitable for all, including those with physical and learning disabilities. Some members of St Nics take part in Open The Book which is a scheme operated by The Bible Society all over the world. Volunteers go into primary schools and help to bring The Bible to life for children using plays, readings, dressing up etc.
Western Toba Bible Translation Project
The Western Toba are an indigenous group living in the western part of Formosa Province, Argentina, 1000 km north of the capital Buenos Aires. There are about 5000 Western Tobas: traditionally hunter-gatherers, they are now mostly settled in small communities in and around the town of Ingeniero Juárez.
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Michael Browne visited St Nics in January 2019 and some of us heard his remarkable account of how The Lord called him to Argentina and the Toba people. Michael arrived in Argentina in 1990 and set about learning the Toba language. He then started to translate the Bible with a team of local assistants. The Toba New Testament is already available and Michael is now working on the Old Testament. In 1995, Michael married Sylvia whom he met in Argentina. They have two sons––Michael who is studying music in London and Christopher who hopes to study for a Business Studies degree in Argentina.
Bible Translation in Paraguay
Tim Curtis has spent most of his life in the inhospitable Chaco area of Paraguay where the Enxet people live.
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Over thirty years, Tim has overseen the translation of the whole Bible into Enxet. The Bibles have now been printed. However, it does not stop there and Tim is now engaged in discipleship building and training indigenous pastors, many of whom are semi-literate so need guidance when reading the Bible. Illiteracy is quite common among the Enxet, so Tim is organising the distribution of “proclaimers”, each proclaimer contains a recording of the Bible and is capable of playing the recording at high volume to a large number of people. Tim has also started to translate Bible study notes into Enxet to help those who can read come closer to Christ.
Latvia Biblical Centre
The Latvia Biblical Centre (LBC) is led by Victor and Esther Petrenko who belonged to St Nics between 1996 and 2006 while each was studying for a PhD. LBC exists to train Latvian Christian leaders, both lay and ordained. During the Soviet era Christianity was strongly opposed by the authorities and no training was available for Christian leaders. After the fall of communism, freedom of religion was established, but the church was very weak and the leaders had little knowledge of the Bible. LBC has contributed significantly to Biblical teaching in Latvia for the last 30 years. In 2018 LBC ran a very successful School of Preaching, enabling church leaders from many denominations to better explain the love and the power of God. The School of Preaching has continued and is held annually.
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LBC is now spreading beyond Riga, with courses held in poorer parts of Latvia enabling those who cannot afford to travel to Riga to take part in training in their own town. In 2017, following five years of prayer during which the Lord provided over one million Euros, LBC were able to enter a new building which serves as a teaching and administration centre and also provides office space to other Christian organisations.
Kairos Refugee Ministry in Germany
Rev. Manasseh Tuyizere was Diocesan Administrator for the Diocese of Kigale in Rwanda, a country with deep tribal divisions and a history of violence and genocide. The church is playing a leading role in developing a more stable and united society. The key to Rwanda’s future is its young people who make up a large proportion of the population; over 60% of the population are under 25 years old. Manasseh developed programmes to reach out to the young people of Rwanda.
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In August 2016, Manasseh married Catrin, whom he met at All Nations College during their studies. After moving to Rwanda, Catrin worked with the Diocesan Education Department helping to develop early years education. They have a two daughters, Emily who was born in 2018 and Eliana, born in June 2020. Unfortunately, Eliana suffers from heart problems which cannot be treated in Rwanda. Manasseh and Catrin were advised by doctors not to return to Rwanda and with a heavy heart Manasseh handed over his work in Rwanda to others. Since arriving in Germany Eliana’s heart condition has improved but she is still under observation and may require an operation.
The Lord led Manasseh to work with refugees in Germany through a Christian organisation called Kairos. He has also learned to speak German and has been appointed as a part time Pastor in a local church.
Bungokho Rural Development Centre
The Bungokho Rural Development Centre (BRDC) is a Church Army Africa project within the Diocese of Mbale in the east of Uganda, and is led by Davis Mananna. BRDC combines training in practical job-related skills with Christian growth and evangelism. The centre serves some of the poorest people in Uganda.
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BRDC has an extensive tree planting project in the Mount Elgon area which is preventing landslides, improving the environment and providing timber for local industries.
South Sudan: Mission Aviation Fellowship
Fiona Stevenson was a member of St Nics for five years before the Lord called her to join Mission Aviation Fellowship as a Finance Manager. In 2018, Fiona became the Finance Manager in Papua New Guinea, a mountainous country where there are many isolated tribal communities. MAF is a lifeline both spiritually and physically for people living in remote areas. Doctors, Teachers and Missionaries are flown in to assist people who live in poverty and in fear of witchcraft.
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In 2022 Fiona moved to South Sudan which is a war torn country with few roads. Armed bandits patrol the few roads that exist so travelling is extremely dangerous. MAF flies medical staff, missionaries, Bibles and building material in to remote communities in South Sudan.
Contact the International
Mission Committee
St Nics Durham, Market Place, Durham, County Durham DH1 3NJ
mission@stnics.org.uk | Tel: 0191 3841180