“The world is dying of hunger, and we are sitting on bread, talking about who can distribute it.” This quote from Artur A. Stele, General Vice President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, helped set the tone for the 2015 GC session in San Antonio, Texas.
In our prosperous church where sitting on our spiritual riches seems to be the goal of so many, who is willing to stand for the spiritually starving? This is the question that led to the founding of AFM 30 years ago, and it is the question that drives us forward as we pour everything we have into fulfilling Christ’s Gospel Commission.
Tragically, that answer is not many. We praise God for every man, woman and child who has answered His call and taken hold of His enabling to minister to the unreached, whether through AFM or any other means. But we still face a sad mathematical truth. In a world filled with more than 6,500 unreached people groups—about 3 billion people—AFM has a little over 120 short-term and career missionaries. Add up all the other ministries around the world reaching the unreached, and the numbers are still terribly lopsided.
However, we continue to be hopeful! We are greatly encouraged that 18 million Seventh-day Adventist Christians (every baptized member!) has already pledged and signed a vow to help reach the unreached. Think I’m kidding? Re-read number seven of the Seventh-day Adventist baptismal vows:
“Is the soon coming of Jesus the blessed hope in your heart, and are you determined to be personally ready to meet the Lord, and to do all in your power to witness to His loving salvation, and by life and word to help others to be ready for His glorious appearing?”
I recall answering, “Yes.” Did you?
