Formation

Established in 1923, the Student Missionary Union was formed to encourage students to fulfill the Great Commission. The 1927 Biolan records that the “primary aim of the Union is educational. Sufficient first-hand information concerning the far-flung frontiers of the home and foreign mission fields is placed before the members to enable them to work, pray and give intelligently.”The Biolan 1927, 76. All students were encouraged to join, but “to become a voting member of this organization one may sign a card pledging himself to pray for the missionaries and to follow the Lord’s guidance concerning his own life, or he may indicate his intention to enter missionary service in a definite field.”The Biolan 1950, 75. The original members were divided into active members, those planning full-time service, and associate members, students who pledged their support through prayer and financial giving to the cause of missions around the world.

During these early years the Student Missionary Union brought international missionaries onto the campus to tell their stories and to encourage students to share the Gospel. The first annual Missions Conference, in collaboration with the Church of the Open Door, was held in 1929. Over the years, prayer groups, named the “kingdom bands,” were formed to intercede for the lost around the world and the missionaries who dedicated their lives to this call. Representatives were also sent to local churches with missions presentations to share what they learned about the current state of missions. Finally, the annual SMU Banquet was a night for all Biola students to celebrate God’s work around the world.

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