A Few World Facts

by Doug Nichols

1. Statistics about the Unfinished Task of World Evangelism.

▪There are approximately 7.5 billion people on Earth. Approximately 750 million (or about 11 percent) of those are willing to claim Jesus as personal Lord and Savior.

▪At present, just over 50 percent of the world's population (or 3.5 billion people) have not heard the gospel and most of them do not have a realistic opportunity to hear the gospel. Here's another way to look at the challenge of world evangelism:

▪Of the 16,700 distinct people groups on the planet, 6734 people groups (roughly 60 percent) contain between zero and two percent evangelical Christians. Many of these 6734 people groups have no churches, no Bibles, no Christian literature, and no mission agencies who are seeking to share the gospel with them.

▪If the church and evangelical missions worldwide were able to send one missionary to each group of 5000 people (of the 3.5 billion) we would need 700,000 additional missionaries!

2. Diaspora, “a people scattered.” The Global Diaspora Network (GDN networks and encourages ministries to diaspora worldwide.  For example, there are over one million Filipinos in Saudi Arabia; 50,000 of these are evangelicals encouraged to reach out with the gospel to Saudis!

3. Children Everywhere! Please pray for many additional missionaries to serve with the gospel and compassionate care to the 100 million street children, 160 million orphans, and other children in crisis in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

4. Additional Missionaries Needed for Manila. Metro Manila is composed of about 17 municipalities (called “cities”) with a total population of 20 to 25 million people! Perhaps you would pray for a great influx of missionaries (ages 21 to 81) to serve in each of these 17 cities by working with local evangelical churches in ministries of encouragement, evangelism, discipleship and development to the glory of God. Missionaries are needed to help mentor pastors in ministry, and all ages are needed to work with street children, the rich, the poor, prisoners, businessmen and women, political leaders and in all aspects of ministry of the gospel.