3.59 billion people are unreached by the gospel according to the latest statistics from Joshua Project. That’s roughly 44 percent of the world’s population.
In 1976, Ralph and Roberta Winter opened the U.S. Center for World Mission to help raise awareness of the thousands of unreached people groups that still exist in this world. This awareness helped clarify the remaining mission task and led more missionaries to go to unreached areas. Adventist Frontier Missions (AFM) was born less than a decade later. Sadly, even with increased awareness, better mission structures, and many people willing and able to go as missionaries, most of those sent are working in predominantly reached areas. According to the “State of the Great Commission Report” by the Lausanne Movement:
“Most missionaries go to predominantly Christian or post-Christian contexts, leading to a lack of connection to and understanding of adherents to other religions.”1 According to an article from Christianity Today, “More missionaries go to Europe than to Asia, even though 60 percent of the world lives in Asia and sending a missionary to Europe costs 10 times as much.”2
Years ago, Ellen White reminded us that we need to give equal attention to all parts of the Lord’s vineyard and not to think that any one place is more important than others.
“I see fields that have never been entered. The torch of truth must be carried into the dark places of the earth. While the angels are holding the winds, we must work as Christ worked. Let no man fix his eyes on his own sphere of labor, and think it is of greater importance than all others. The missionary fields are all to receive equal interest. The field is the world.” 3
Though we may say no place is more important than another, our actions, where we allocate resources, often contradict that. While you may not be able to influence large-scale change in mission realities, you can consider opening your heart to serving the unreached. Are you willing to do your part? Consider contacting us today!
“No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once.” – Oswald J. Smith.
