Who We Are

Welcome to the Sumba Mission Outreach, a Reformed Christian mission endeavor located on the island of Sumba, Indonesia.

Our Mission

Our greatest desire is to see the glory of God advanced in Sumba as we bring the Gospel to the Sumbanese people. Our prayer is that they may, by God’s grace, embrace the Saviour of sinners, Jesus Christ, and have their lives shaped and influenced by the Bible. We desire to see lives improve spiritually and materially as God provides for and blesses us in our work.

Our History

In August of 1999 a retired couple, Bill and Marion Sommer, agreed to travel to Sumba to drill a well so the people could have clean drinking water.  Little did they realize their involvement in Sumba would greatly expand over the next two decades. Today, a children’s home and school provide nearly ninety Sumbanese youth with a Christian upbringing and a safe haven in which to grow.  Some are now studying for the ministry, medicine, teaching, and a variety of trades. God has been very, very gracious.

Our Governance

The Mission is governed by a Board whose members come from varied Reformed churches in Oxford County, Ontario, under the oversight of a local Reformed consistory.  This Board works in conjunction with a governing Board (“Yayasan”) in Indonesia. We are supported by Reformed donors and churches in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands.

Bill Sommer with the children.
Boys at the Sumba Mission.

Our Goals

With God’s help, the Mission is presently focused on four main goals:

#1The promotion of the Reformed Christian faith for the glory of God and the spiritual welfare of the Sumbanese people.

#2Development of indigenous spiritual and managerial leadership.

#3Exploring how this work might affect the culture beyond the immediate needs of the children and local residents.

#4To secure a broad sustainable base of support in North America and beyond until the work becomes self-sustaining.