The first missionary was Rosalie MacGeorge, pictured above. She served in West Bengal from 1886-1891, dying in Colombo on her way back to New Zealand. Since then may others have worked there, in what is now called Bangladesh, seeking to reach both Muslims and Bengali Hindus. In 1938 permission was given to work in Tripura among animistic hill tribes people.

The “Other avenues of service” scheme seconded workers to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Irian Jaya, Indonesia, in the 1970s and to France, West New Britain, PNG, and Fiji in the 1980s.

In the 1990s the name was changed to tranzsend and the focus shifted to the two billion who have not yet heard the gospel, particularly those in urban areas of South and South-East Asia, including areas where there are many Buddhists.

For 125 years NZBMS/tranzsend workers have been involved in a wide range of activities that have included evangelism, preaching, discipling, community development, literacy, church planting, theological training, medical assistance, emergency relief, publishing, saw milling, financing loan schemes, schooling, hospital development, Bible translation and development of businesses to empower the poor.

A fuller history is available here.