1885  

Tranzsend born 15th October in Dunedin as the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society (NZBMS). On the motion of Rev. Alfred North the 25 delegates to the third Conference of the Baptist Union of New Zealand vote unanimously to form a society "to take up at the outset Missionary work in India."

1885-89

1886—the first missionary, Rosalie MacGeorge, arrives in East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to work in association with members of the (English) Baptist Missionary Society. A steady trickle of missionary volunteers follows.

1890-99

1891—in poor health at the end of her first term of service, Rosalie MacGeorge dies in Colombo on her way back to New Zealand.

After initial difficulty in settling on a fixed area, the NZBMS takes responsibility for two districts in the eastern part of the province. Centres are established, first at Brahmanbaria and later at Chandpur, a junction town on the Meghna River.

1900-09

1901—Churches formed at both Brahmanbaria and Chandpur. These are small and remain so.

1901—Dr Charles North opens a well equipped hospital in Chandpur. The project generates a great deal of enthusiasm among Baptists in New Zealand.

1906—Dispensary opened at Brahmanbaria by Emma Beckingsale. Over the years this medical work develops into a women's hospital specializing in maternity services.

Mission work in this and the next decades has three main features:

Itinerant preaching in bazaars and villages, and the distribution of literature.

For extended tours to remote areas, a series of houseboats with names like  Shantimoni (Jewel of Peace), Shantidut (Messenger of Peace), Doyamoni –Jewel of Mercy , are an important means of travel especially in the rainy season.

Regular Christian teaching through the setting up of day schools and Bible classes. Women missionaries have a special opportunity in visiting and teaching in zenanas. [A zenana is that part of a house in which the women are kept secluded].

Christian service expressed in medical treatment, and the care of widows and orphaned children.

 1910-1919

Expressions of interest from communities of Nama Sudras (low caste Hindus) in areas around Brahmanbaria. These opportunities are taken up by John Takle (1896-1925), along with national workers. John Takle also has a focus on work among Muslims. His acquaintance with their faith and culture leads to his becoming a recognised authority on Islam.

1920-29

1920—Emma Beckingsale in Brahmanbaria establishes the Home of Hope for destitute widows. Home of Hope established in 1917 and closed in 2001. 

With its majority Muslim population, Tipperah, as the NZBMS area is known, proves to be an unresponsive field. The results of missionary endeavour are meagre and scarcely of the order required by the expectations and prayers of supporters in the home country.

1923—A Commission of four, two from New Zealand and two missionaries (one from the B.M.S. and one from the Australian B.M.S.) makes an evaluation of N.Z.B.M.S work. No major changes are envisaged, but the Commission recommends a strengthening of male staff with two married men stationed at both Brahmanbaria and Chandpur.

1930-39

The N.Z.B.M.S. expands its field of operation into Tripura (Hill Tipperah), a princely state to the east ruled semi-independently by its own maharajah. From the late 1890s onwards a number of preaching forays are made across the border, but the establishing of a permanent mission station is forbidden. In 1938, however, this barrier is removed and Rev. and Mrs M. J. Eade receive permission to reside in the capital, Agartala.

In contrast to Brahmanbaria and Chandpur where the work is among Bengali Hindus and Muslims, the new work in Tripura is almost entirely among ethnically distinct animistic hill tribes.

1938—The Tripura Baptist Christian Union (TBCU) is formed with 13 churches. The Union includes a number of churches among Mizo people. These Mizo churches are the result of work by the North East India General Mission (NEIGM) which has now withdrawn.

1940-49

World War II—Japanese forces press into eastern India causing some disruption of mission activities.  

1943—St Paul's School established in Agartala. By the 1970s the school has been extended to high school level.

Medical work begun in Tripura under Dr Dorothy Daintree (BMS) and Dr Nola Ivory.

1947—British rule in India comes to an end. The country is divided into India and Pakistan. East Bengal becomes East Pakistan with next-door Tripura remaining part of India. 

1950-59

1951—Bible and Training School opened in Agartala under the Rev. B.N. Eade. Ten years later this develops into the Tripura Theological School with a three year course for the training of pastors and teacher-evangelists.

1951—In Agartala the first permanent hospital building erected. Under the leadership of Dr Lawrence Sanson (1956) this grows into a 35 bed base hospital with outlying dispensaries and village clinics. Leprosy work a special interest.

1955—In East Pakistan Rev. Bob Alcorn develops literature work leading to the establishment of the Christian Literature Centre (CLC). 

1961—The CLC opens a permanent building in Chandpur, and goes on to become one of two major publishers of Christian literature in Bangladesh. Among its publications is the monthly magazine Nabajug (New Age).

1960-69

1960—the first converts among the Boroks (Deb Barmas), the major tribal group of Tripura.  

Instead of Mission and Church operating in parallel, the work in Tripura is gradually integrated, with the TBCU taking responsibility for all institutional and village activity.

1968—The College of Christian Theology, Bangladesh (CCTB) set up in Dhaka

1968—NZBMS inaugurates its "Other Avenues of Service" scheme. Under this scheme missionaries are seconded to compatible organisations in different parts of the world. The first of many such workers are Peter and Sue Bryan who take up hospital laboratory work in Kimpese, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo).

1970-79

1971—Following the "War of Liberation", East Pakistan breaks free from West Pakistan and becomes what is now Bangladesh.

In Brahmanbaria, under the supervision of Ian Brown, the school and hospital destroyed by the war are re-built.

Peter McNee heads up house reconstruction in devastated villages, and goes on to establish the Chandpur Cottage Industries Centre. Later he publishes Crucial Issues in Bangladesh, a church growth book surveying the demographics of the country.

In the early 1970s the government of India requires all expatriate missionaries in the north-east of the country, including Tripura, to leave. The last NZBMS personnel leave at the end of 1973.

1976—In Tripura the New Testament in Kok Borok is published.  

The "Other Avenues of Service" scheme seconds workers to Papua New Guinea (1973), Solomon Islands (1974), Irian Jaya, Indonesia (1979), In the Solomons NZMBS personnel work with ATASI (Alliance Training Association of the Solomon Islands), a commercial venture associated with the South Sea Evangelical Church (SSEC).

1980-89

"Other Avenues of Service" missionaries go to France (1981), West New Britain, PNG (1984), Fiji (1987).

John Takle hostel opened in Brahmanbaria.

In Bangladesh the process of handing over NZBMS institutional work to the Bangladesh Baptist Church Fellowship (BBCF) begins.

The College of Christian Theology, Bangladesh (CCTB) moves to Savar, 15 kilometres north-west of Dhaka. Several NZBMS missionaries are involved in its teaching programme. 

1990-99

NZBMS renamed tranzsend, and takes on a new focus—the two billion who have not yet heard the gospel, particularly those in urban areas of South and South-East Asia. 

1997—BANZAID (Baptists Aotearoa New Zealand Aid) set up in New Zealand to allow relief and development work to be funded separately from other tranzsend activities.

 1999—"Business as Mission" (BAM) becomes another means of missionary engagement. A limited liability company was set up as the commercial arm of tranzsend.

China—Initial entry to Hong Kong (1997?) followed by a move to Macau. Medical and social work in association with the Hope Medical Clinic.

 Thailand—Entry (2000) working at first with the Australian B.M.S.

Bangladesh—John and Susan Osborne move into urban work in a poor area of Dhaka.

DO teams start to visit mission fields and offer short-term assistance.

2000 onwards

2000—In China (north of Macau) overseas staff work in association with two local businesses, a language school and a kindergarten.

2002—In India business ventures are established to provide employment for marginalised women.

2003—In Thailand a workplace English business was set up, closed in 2008.

2004— Christian Literature Centre (CLC) moves from Chandpur to Dhaka.

Workers enter into new locations in India (2004) and Afghanistan (2005).

2009—in Thailand workers move to the north-east at the invitation of the local and national church.

Baptist Mission Fellowship (BMF)

BMF is a prayer and support group which has grown up alongside tranzsend.  It was originally formed in 1903 as The New Zealand Baptist Women's Missionary Union (BWMU) to unite the women in the churches in prayer and service, and to foster interest in furthering the work of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. In 1986 the name was changed to New Zealand Baptist Missionary Fellowship to acknowledge the fact that men, as well as women, were participating in the activities of the branches. In 2002 the current name, Baptist Mission Fellowship, was adopted.