Mission Aviation Fellowship

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MAF logo (Mission Aviation Fellowship).png
The remains of an aircraft used by Mission Aviation Fellowship missionary Nate Saint is on display at MAF-US headquarters in Nampa, Idaho Nate Saint's Piper Airplane.jpg
The remains of an aircraft used by Mission Aviation Fellowship missionary Nate Saint is on display at MAF-US headquarters in Nampa, Idaho

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is an Evangelical Christian organization that provides aviation, communications, and learning technology services to more than 1,000 Christian and humanitarian agencies, as well as thousands of isolated missionaries and indigenous villagers in the world's most remote areas. [1] There are three major operational centers Nampa, Idaho; Ashford, England; and Cairns, Australia. These centres provide operational support to programs in the Americas, Africa and Asia Pacific regions. In 2010, MAF served in more than 55 countries, flying 201,710 passengers with a fleet of some 130 aircraft. [1]

Contents

History

MAF began with several World War II pilots who had a vision for how aviation could be used to spread the Christian faith. After the War, Jim Truxton of the United States, Murray Kendon of the United Kingdom, and Edwin Hartwig of Australia, with the support of like-minded Christians, founded missionary aviation agencies in their respective countries. [2]

The US organization was the first to take to the air, under the name Christian Airmen's Missionary Fellowship, later known as Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). In 1946, pilot Betty Greene flew the first MAF aircraft on its inaugural flight, transporting two missionaries of Wycliffe Bible Translators to a remote jungle location in Mexico. [3] In addition to Truxton and Greene, other early members of the fellowship included Charlie Mellis, Nate Saint, Larry Montgomery, Grady Parrott, George Fisk, Clarence Soderberg, and Jim Buyers. The earliest MAF fields of service were Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador. Over the years, the organization expanded to serve many countries of Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Eurasia.

In the United Kingdom, Missionary Aviation Fellowship was initially organized as a wing of the Mildmay Movement (a Christian outreach organization), though it later became an independent organization. [4] Murray Kendon was instrumental in the agency's founding, as were Jack Hemmings, Stuart King, and Tom Banham. MAF-UK conducted a survey of Central Africa in 1948, followed by service in Sudan in 1950. In subsequent years, the British organization expanded service to other African countries.

The organizational meeting for an Australian MAF organization was held on June 30, 1947. Early members included Edwin "Harry" Hartwig, Leonard Buck, John Nimmo, Bruce Morton and Ken Cooper. After the purchase of a de Havilland Tiger Moth aircraft in 1949, Hartwig and Alex Friend undertook a survey of northern Australia. Hartwig then completed a needs assessment survey in New Guinea. In 1951 Hartwig, along with Bob and Betty Hutchins of MAF-US, established service in New Guinea, based at Madang. On August 6, 1951, Hartwig was killed when his aircraft crashed in the Asaroka Pass in the Central New Guinea Highlands. [5] In the years following, work in New Guinea continued through the joint efforts of the Australian and American MAF organizations. Later, the Australian MAF established service in central and north Australia (Arnhem Land), Borneo, and Bougainville.

MAF came to worldwide attention when, in 1956, MAF-US pilot Nate Saint and four other missionaries were killed on a beach in Ecuador by Huaorani. [6] Family members of those killed returned to Ecuador and ministered to the tribe, and some of the men who killed the missionaries eventually converted to Christianity. [7] The story was featured in Life magazine, [8] and several feature films have been made about the life and death of these missionaries, including End of the Spear [9] in 2005.

In later years, MAF agencies were established in other countries, including New Zealand, South Africa, Suriname, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Canada.

MAF Learning Technologies developed in a similar way to the aviation support. MAF staff saw the needs of isolated church leaders which could be met with the use of various educational technologies including the internet, computers, MP3 players and other communication devices. MAF Learning Technologies is providing support to many other ministries seeking to provide leadership training, education and community development training to people in isolated areas.

Areas of service

MAF missionaries perform tasks as diverse as digging wells in Mali, providing disaster relief services in Sumatra, installing jungle communications and internet wifi networks in Papua New Guinea and Ecuador, operating computer centers in rural African villages, providing air ambulance services in East Timor and Haiti, and showing the movie Jesus in remote villages. Its learning technologies division provides training and biblical resources for thousands of isolated pastors and church leaders. The organization focuses its mission work in the areas of evangelism and church nurture; medical assistance; disaster response; community development; and training and development of indigenous peoples. [10]

MAF has become well known as a provider of disaster response and relief services. Following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, MAF provided air and communications support in Sumatra to humanitarian agencies responding to the crisis. [11] In 2007, MAF provided aid following Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh [12] and Hurricane Felix in Nicaragua, [13] and worked with the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to halt an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [14] In 2008, MAF aircraft evacuated missionaries and foreign aid workers from Chad following violence there. [15] That same year, MAF airdropped food and medical supplies to villagers stranded by flooding in the wake of four deadly storms in Haiti, [16] and served refugee camps in the Democratic Republic of Congo following clashes between government and rebel forces. [17] MAF also provided relief services in response to the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

MAF PNG Twin Otter at Kafa, Papua New Guinea Mission Aviation Fellowship De-Havilland DHC6-300 P2-MFU.jpg
MAF PNG Twin Otter at Kafa, Papua New Guinea

MAF also provides internet, IT and RF communications to its various projects around the globe. In disasters, MAF uses a mobile VSAT terminal which can be "checked" onto most commercial airlines as baggage. This terminal can provide emergency communications anywhere in the world and can be quickly deployed.

Accidents

MAF Twin Otter at Selbang airstrip. Mission Aviation Fellowship Twin Otter at Selbang.jpg
MAF Twin Otter at Selbang airstrip.

Aviation

Mission Aviation Fellowship provides transport services to missionaries, translators, support personnel, consultants, trainers and linguists; provides medical evacuations; and assists in disaster relief work. In some areas, support is also provided to many Christian mission organizations, hospitals, local people and governments. Since these services involve flying into steep, short, or otherwise difficult runways, Mission Aviation Fellowship provides its personnel with training in STOL and other specialised techniques.

Aircraft currently used include:

Former Aircraft


Information from: Mission Aviation Fellowship Arnhem Land, Australian, Bangladesh, Canada, East Timor, Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, UK & US websites and Airliners.net

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "MAF Fact Sheet 2010", accessed June 22, 2009 from http://www.maf.org/about.
  2. "Giving Wings to the Gospel: The Remarkable Story of Mission Aviation Fellowship", Buss, Dietrich G. and Glasser, Arthur F. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995.
  3. "Flying High: The amazing story of Betty Greene and the early years of Mission Aviation Fellowship", Greene, Betty. Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, Inc., 2002.
  4. "Hope Has Wings: The Mission Aviation Fellowship Story", King, Stuart. London: HarperCollins, 1993.
  5. "Giving Wings to the Gospel: The Remarkable Story of Mission Aviation Fellowship", Buss, Dietrich G. and Glasser, Arthur F. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995. pp. 133-145
  6. Through Gates of Splendor
  7. "Jungle Pilot: The gripping story of the life and witness of Nate Saint, martyred missionary to Ecuador", Hitt, Russell T. Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1997, p.304.
  8. "Go ye and preach the Gospel.", Life, vol. 40, no. 5, January 30, 1956, pages 10-19.
  9. "End of the Spear", Retrieved on June 11, 2009 from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399862/synopsis
  10. “Case Statement 2009.” Downloaded May 12, 2009, from www.maf.org.
  11. “Indonesia – Earthquake and Tsunami: OCHA Field Situation Report Update No. 13.” UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Jan. 7, 2005. Downloaded Jun. 11, 2009 from http://www.undp.org/cpr/disred/documents/tsunami/indonesia/sr13.pdf Archived 22 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine .
  12. “Mission Aviation Fellowship still providing aid after Bangladesh cyclone Sidr.” Christianity Today, December 20, 2007. Downloaded June 11, 2009 from http://www.christiantoday.com/article/mission.aviation.fellowship.still.providing.aid.after.bangladesh.cyclone.sidr/15702.htm.
  13. “Air Bridge Ministry Winds Down in Nicaragua.” Mission Network News, Sept. 13, 2007. Downloaded June 10, 2009 from http://www.mnnonline.org/article/10349 Archived 27 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine .
  14. “Mission Aviation Fellowship Transports Doctors to Congo Ebola Victims.” Christianity Today Australia, 9-20-2007. Downloaded June 11, 2009, from http://au.christiantoday.com/article/mission-aviation-fellowship-transports-doctors-to-congo-ebola-victims/3263-2.htm
  15. “No quick return to Chad for Mission Aviation Fellowship.” Christianity Today. Feb. 5, 2008. Downloaded June 11, 2009 from http://www.christiantoday.com/article/no.quick.return.to.chad.for.mission.aviation.fellowship/16652.htm.
  16. “Hurricane Ike adds to Haiti flooding already created by Fay, Gustav and Hanna; MAF focusing on areas with airstrip access.” Sept. 8, 2008. Downloaded June 11, 2009 from Reliefweb, http://reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/VDUX-7JASPW?OpenDocument
  17. “Mission Aviation Fellowship helps aid agencies reach Congo's needy.” Christianity Today. November 3, 2008. Downloaded June 11, 2009 from http://www.christiantoday.com/article/mission.aviation.fellowship.helps.aid.agencies.reach.congos.needy/21792.htm
  18. Young, Roger (2006) Many Adventures Followed. TM Books: Wendouree (Australia), page 96. ISBN   0-646-45661-X
  19. Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (March 1969). The Message. 35 (3): 1–5.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. "Newman, Gene (d. 1969) - Biograph". mla.bethelks.edu. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  21. "Airplane Crash Kills 28 In Papua New Guinea". World News Briefs. New York Times. 19 December 1994.
  22. "Accident Description". Aircraft Safety Network.
  23. 1 2 PAC: Expat pilot killed in PNG light plane crash, AAP News Wire, 23 March 2006
  24. PAC: Swiss pilot killed in PNG light plane crash, 3 injured, AAP General News Wire, 24 March 2006
  25. "News Update: Arnhem Land Search". Mission Aviation Fellowship.
  26. "Loss of Young Pilot Highlights the Risks of Mission Aviation". Christian Today Australia.
  27. "MAF plane still not found". Mission Network News. Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2009.
  28. "MAF pilot missing - but not a MAF plane". Christian Today Australia.
  29. "Pesawat PK-MEC milik MAF jatuh di kawasan Danau Sentani". Antara News. 12 May 2020.
  30. "Lin, Joyce". Mission Aviation Fellowship.

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