In July 1982, Richard Norton accepted the position as Administrative Director for Siloam in India and established an office in Chennai to consolidate a ministry originally set up by a German mission.

Fundraising began in the UK in November 1982 and the organisation received charitable status in 1986. Siloam soon established a presence in many parts of the world by working with a number of independent co-workers and national churches.

After the fall of communism in Romania at the end of 1989, Siloam was invited to take in truckloads of aid because at that time Siloam was one of the few organisations in the UK that owned and operated relief vehicles on the European Continent. This aid ministry became a springboard helping folk throughout Eastern Europe taking material aid to orphanages, schools, churches and other institutions.

Today, Siloam sends aid in containers through its partner organisation in Canada, Universal Aide Society. In 2004, the total amount shipped in Siloam's aid vehicles and in containers from Canada amounted to £919,115.00.

Siloam helps many independent missionaries who don't attract the attention as the larger charities. Siloam is satisfied in knowing that the projects it supports overseas comply with all the accounting criteria demanded by the UK Charity Commissioners. Inspections are carried out on a regular basis to overseas projects and fundraising material, gathered to share with sponsors and donors in the UK as well as other participating countries.

At the present time Siloam is sponsoring more than 40 different projects overseas for which your financial help and prayer support are eagerly sought.

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Our organisation chose the name Siloam Christian Ministries because the mission began its work by helping blind people in south India suffering with cataracts recover their eyesight.

The Greek word Siloam is a place name possibly derived from the Hebrew word 'Shalom'. The word means 'sending the Spirit'. The pool of Siloam is the place where the blind man was told to go and wash as Jesus had spat on the ground and mixed His saliva with the mud, which he put on the blind man's eyes. It's really a play on words to press the point that the blind man was sent to Siloam by Jesus, whom God had sent Himself. To regain his sight, the blind man went to the pool of Siloam and washed and so obeyed the words of Jesus. The whole account is recorded in John: 9, 1-11.

The pool if Siloam is situated on the southern end of the old city of Jerusalem at the end of Hezekiah's conduit which was constructed around 700-710 B.C. The conduit was cut out of solid rock to safeguard the water supply for the city of Jerusalem which at that time was being threatened by the Assyrian Army.

A small boy discovered the celebrated Siloam inscription in 1880, by accidentally falling into the water. Upon rising to the surface, he observed some writing on the rock above on one side of the channel. It is reported that Herr Schick took an impression of these letters which he deciphered to be ancient Hebrew. Indeed, this remains to be the oldest specimen of alphabetical writing ever found.

Siloam retains the name because of its commitment to the blind in India by sponsoring eye operations, glaucoma and other ophthalmic treatment at the Siloam Thomas Eye Hospital in Coimbatore - see project 009.

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