WORLD MISSIONS NEWS

			Statistics from www.missionfrontiers.org
		The State of World Evangelization How Are We Doing? Are We Making Progress? "Evangelical Christians are the fastest growing major religious group in the world today and it is the only one growing rapidly by conversion." Patrick Johnstone
		Approximate 2000 Global Mission Statistics   God's promise to bless all the "families of the earth," (Gen. 12:3) first given to Abraham 4,000 years ago, is becoming a reality at a pace "you would not believe." Although some may dispute some of the details, the overall trend is indisputable. Biblical faith is growing and spreading to the ends of the earth as never before in history. --From Finishing the Task by Ralph Winter and Bruce Koch These figures are based on the best information available to us. We welcome suggestions and input on improving this section   One third of earth’s people call themselves Christians. One third are non-Christians living in already reached people groups. One third are non-Christians living in unreached people groups.   Amazing Progress In 1974 approximately one half of the world's population was beyond the reach of the Church, living in unreached peoples. Today, just one third of the world's population live in unreached peoples beyond the reach of the Church.   For the first time in history, there are fewer non-Christians within the unreached peoples than there are within the reached groups. As missionaries succeed in establishing church movements in more unreached peoples, that is exactly what you would expect to happen. As the figures below demonstrate, we are in the final era of missions. For the first time in history we can anticipate the completions of the missionary task, which is to establish an indigenous church planting movement within the language and social structure of every people on earth. For a more extensive analysis of the state of world evangelization go to the article, Finishing the Task by Ralph Winter and Bruce Koch. Amazing Growth: Annual Growth Rates: Overall World Population is growing by 1.6% each year Pentecostals and Charismatics 7.3% Evangelicals 5.7%, Protestants 2.9%, Roman Catholics ~1.2%, All Christians 2.6% Muslims 2.7% Evangelical believers are growing at a rate of three and one half times that of world population. Milestone Dates in the Growth of True Christianity At the dates indicated, a comparison of 1) the number of Bible–believing Christians and 2) the total number of people in the world: It took 1430 years for Bible-believing Christians to become just one percent of world population By AD 1430, (1%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 99 after 1430 years) By AD 1790, (2%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 49 after 360 years) By AD 1940, (3%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 32 after 150 years) By AD 1960, (4%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 24 after 20 years) By AD 1970, (5%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 19 after 10 years) By AD 1980, (6%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 16 after 10 years) By AD 1983, (7%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 13 after 3 years) By AD 1986, (8%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 11 after 3 years) By AD 1989, (9%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 10 after 3 years) By AD 1993, (10%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 9 after 4 years) By AD 1997, (11%) were Bible believing Christians. (One to 8 after 4 years) The Latest Picture Today, 645 million or (11%) of the world population are Evangelicals or Bible believing Christians. Of the world’s 24,000 “Unimax” People Groups, 10,000 (having 2.1 billion persons) are still considered Unreached---though Christian work is being done among most. A unimax people is the maximum sized group sufficiently unified to be reached by a single, indigenous church planting movement. Adherents of Major Religions 2.0 billion - Christians 680 million - Evangelicals 1.1 billion - Muslims 340 million - Buddhists 1.0 billion - Roman Catholics 340 million - Chinese Folk Religions 890 million - Hindus 220 million - Tribal Religions 875 million - Non-Religious/Atheists 17 million - Judaism Missionaries: 410,000 Missionaries from all branches of Christendom (Only between 2 and 3% of those missionaries work among unreached peoples.) 140,000 Protestant Missionaries 64,000 Protestant Missionaries From USA   Distribution of Protestant Missionaries Among Cultural Blocks 74% Among Nominal Christians 3% Among Buddhists 8% Among Tribal Peoples 2% Among Hindus 6% Among Muslims 2% Among Chinese Folk Religions 4% Among Non-Religious/Atheists 1% Among Jewish Peoples Global Church Member Finance in US Dollars: 12,300 Billion (12.3 Trillion) - Total Annual Income 213 Billion - Given to Christian Causes (1.73% of total income) 11.4 Billion - Given to Foreign Missions (5.4% of Giving to Christian causes) Of Foreign Mission Giving: 87% goes for work among those already Christian, 12% goes for work among already evangelized non-Christians, and 1% or $114 million goes for work among people groups in the Unevangelized or Unreached category.   Most above stats are adapted from data by David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson of Global Evangelization Movement, other portions from Patrick Johnstone’s The Church is Bigger Than you Think, etc. Mobilization Division, U.S. Center for World Mission Other Measures of Progress The Good News in Their Language Ministry Description In 1994 In 2000 Still Needed Bible Translations (Total of all portions below) ? 2212 > 2000 --Adequate Bibles ? 366 > 2500 --Adequate New Testaments ? 928 > 2000 --Scripture Portions (not complete NTs) ? 918 > 2000 Gospel Recordings (Messages on Tape) 4449 5049 2,900 Radio Broadcasts (>1 Million Speakers) 170 277 95 Last updated 1-24-2000 •••••••••• •••••••••• ••••••••••   www.wycliffe.org | www.gospelrecordings.com | www.gospelcom.net/wbradio/ The Jesus Film Project Growth Indicator: In 1989 In 1999 Still Needed Translations 143 547 605 Agency Partnerships 205 831 •••••••••• Viewers 330 Million 2.9 Billion 3.1 Billion Decisions for Christ 30 Million 106.5 Million •••••••••• Film Teams Operating 136 2549 •••••••••• Last updated 1-14-2000 •••••••••• •••••••••• ••••••••••   www.jesusfilm.org Joshua Project 2000--A Cooperative Effort to Reach Every People Over 10,000 Population by the Year 2000. Joshua Project Peoples 1995 2000 Change Peoples on active Joshua Project (JP) list 1739 1594 -145 Peoples on active JP list with no Church of 100 reported 1739 1117 -622 Peoples on active JP list with no reported on-site Church Planting team 1739 539 -1200 Peoples on active JP list that are not targeted or "claimed NA 197 ••••• Updated as of 1-14-2000 For more information go to http://www.ad2000.org ••• ••• ••••• _______________________   And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. Revelation 5:9