A “perfect storm” of converging factors was brewing in 2010.
- The Church around the world continued expanding. In fact, Christianity’s “center of gravity” has now shifted to the Majority World – developing, non-Western countries. While only an estimated 17% of the world’s Christians lived in Africa, Asia and Latin America in 1900, the 2010 estimate is now 63%.* All of this growth in terms of new churches, fellowships and Christian institutions means lots of organizational “growing pains.”
- The Gospel continues to take root among some of the world’s least reached people groups. “In many cases, peoples with no known believers ten or twenty years ago now have churches within them...”** These new churches need nurturing.
- The Baby-Boomers reached a milestone: On January 1, 2011 Kathleen Casey-Kirschling turned 65 years old. She was born one second after midnight on January 1, 1946 – and represents 78 million Americans who will follow her “into retirement” over the next 19 years at a rate of 10,000 per day.*** Among the millions are many experienced missionaries and mature believers ready to come alongside the growing global Church.
- An alarming number of American missionaries are returning home from their career assignments overseas. One pastor to missionaries believes as many as 3,000 will leave the mission field and come home in the next three to five years.**** This experience base need not be lost to industry and retirement.
This is the world in which we minister and the world in which we mobilize. Our calling is to glorify God by coming alongside the global missions community to enhance Kingdom effectiveness. Our heart is to serve the growing global Church. We are convinced that a generation of mission experience can be focused on that goal.
As you read this issue of Perspective, you will see the numbers, stories and photos we use to paint a picture. The statistics give a quick view of the scope and breadth of who we are, where we serve and what we do. The stories give clues about the power of what God is doing. Glorify God with us for how He has provided and where He is leading!
* Jason Mandyrk, Operation World, (Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing, 2010), 5
** ibid. Mandyrk, 6
*** The Baltimore Sun, Nation’s First Baby Boomer Turns 65, http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011- 01-08/business/, January 8, 2011
**** Jim Feiker, Barnabas International, meeting with author, August 16, 2010
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