Missions Statistics
A Word on Missions Statistics from Brian Weller
God’s Great Commission is described in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts. Christ has already done the work necessary for salvation, and now “the only task Jesus left us to do is the evangelization of the world” (Oswald J. Smith). Are we doing it? It’s important for us to answer that question and to gauge our progress in fulfilling God’s Great Commission. Statistics can help us do that. As you read these statistics, you’ll see that there is so much more we can do, and that in so many respects we fall short of the goal. Every day, people slip into eternity without Jesus, who died to save sinners including you and me. It’s wrong, in fact sinful, for us to sit idly by and do little or nothing when the power to do so much good is at our fingertips.
When this life is over and we inhabit eternity, certainly we will all have some regrets about how we spent our time and efforts in this life. But we can ease those regrets by choosing to focus right now on the things that really matter to God. Let’s join together and focus on giving as God would have us give, on caring as God would have us care, and on living as God would have us live. I pray that as you read these statistics, you will be moved to do more and to “follow through” on the great work Jesus has left for us — The Great Commission.
Scriptures About The Great Commission
- “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” Matt 28:19
- “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14
- “He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Luke 10:2
- “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” Mark 16:15
Missions Statistics from the Traveling Team
(Updated September 2018 unless stated otherwise. For most recent update, visit www.thetravelingteam.org/stats )
Disturbing Statistics About the Church in the USA
(From 2011. Traveling Team no longer updates the USA Church Statistics section.)
- 85% Of all Funding Goes Towards Internal Operations
- 50% to pay the salary of pastors and church staff.
- 22% to pay for upkeep and expansion of buildings.
- 13% for church expenses such as electricity and supplies.
- 15% Outreach includes 3% for local missions.
- 2% for overseas missions (both evangelistic and charitable) In the end, if you only give to your local church, odds are that only 2% of 2.58%, or 0.05% of your income is going towards “preaching the gospel to every nation” and helping the “poorest of the poor” combined. To put that in perspective, if you make $50,000 a year, that is only $25.80 per year.
American Christians spend 95% of offerings on home-based ministry, 4.5% on cross-cultural efforts in already reached people groups, and .5% to reach the unreached. (The Traveling Team)
World-Wide Population
GLOBAL
- 7.56 billion (August 2018 est.)
- Median age – total: 29.7 years
- Life expectancy – total population: 68 years
TOP TEN MOST POPULOUS COUNTRIES (IN MILLIONS)
- China: 1,355
- India: 1,236
- United States: 318
- Indonesia: 253
- Brazil: 202
- Pakistan: 196
- Nigeria: 177
- Bangladesh: 166
- Russia: 142
- Japan: 127
Money and Missions
- That’s also how much we spend in America on Christmas.
Given to Missions: $45 billion
- That’s only 6.4% of the money given to Christian causes of any kind (2015). [1] *5.6% reported in 2010, GAC [2]
- That’s also how much we spend in America on dieting programs.
- Embezzled: If you are doing the math and realize there is $50 billion missing, this is where it went. [1]
How Christian Giving is Used
- Pastoral ministries of local churches (mostly in Christian nations): $677 billion (96.8%) [2]
- “Home Missions” in same Christian nations: $20.3 billion (2.9%) [2]
- Going to Unevangelized Non-Christian world: $2.1 billion (.3%) [2] *This is different than “Unreached”
- Money that goes toward Unreached Peoples: *Estimated $450 million [3]
[3] *In 2001 only 1% of giving to “Missions” went to unreached – if that trend holds true today it would be $450 million. The estimated $450 million going toward UPG’s is only .001% of the $42 trillion Income of Christians. For every $100,000 that Christians make, they give $1 to the unreached.
HYPOTHETICAL OBSERVATIONS
- Evangelical Christians could provide all of the funds needed to plant a church in each of the 6,900 unreached people groups with only 0.03% of their income.
- The Church has roughly 3,000 times the financial resources and 9,000 times the manpower needed to finish the Great Commission.
- If every evangelical gave 10% of their income to missions we could easily support 2 million new missionaries.
Unreached People Groups:
WORLDWIDE
- Total People Groups: 16,591
UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS
- Less than 2% Evangelical Christian.
- Total Unreached People Groups: 6,741
- Total Population of UPGs: 3.14 billion people
- Total Percentage of world: UPG’s make up 42.2% of world population
UNEVANGELIZED PEOPLES
- Greater than 2% Evangelical Christian but still great numbers of unsaved.
- Total Unevangelized People Groups: 2,792
- Total Population: 764 million
- Total Percentage of world: the unevangelized make up 11% of world population
REACHED PEOPLES
- Greater than 2% Evangelical Christian or majority Christian Population
- Total Reached People Groups: 7,058
- Total Population: 3.5 billion
- Total Percentage of world: the reached population makes up 42% of world population
Christians of The World:
ALL CHRISTIANS
Christians number 2.2 Billion worldwide (all Catholic, Protestant, etc.,) within 6,876 total people groups compromising 28.6% of the world population.
EVANGELICALS
Evangelical Christians total 550 million (Operation World 2015). Evangelicals have grown from only 3 million in AD 1500, to 550 million worldwide, with 54% being Non-Whites. In ministries, there are 4.19 million full-time Christian workers and 95% are working within the Christian world. [original source, Frontier Harvest Ministries, 2007] There are 900 churches for every one unreached people group. (USCWM, Mission Frontiers, 2001)
There are 78,000 Evangelical Christians for every one unreached people group.
Missionaries and Workers:
- All Missionaries in the World (Catholic, Protestant, etc.): 400,000 foreign missionaries [1]
- Missionaries in the Reached World: 309,315 foreign missionaries (77.3%) [2]
- Missionaries in the Unevangelized: 77,610 foreign missionaries (19.4%) [2]
- Missionaries in the Unreached: 13,315 foreign missionaries (3.3%) [2]
CHRISTIAN WORKERS
- Full time Christian Workers in the World: 5.5 million workers
- Christian workers in the Reached World: 4.19 million local workers (75.9%)
- Christian workers in the Unevangelized: 1.3 million local workers (23.7%)
- Christian workers in the Unreached: 20,500 local workers (0.37%)
MISSIONARIES PER RELIGION:
- Tribals – 714,108,000 population with 11,900 Missionaries: 1 for every 60,000
- Hindus – 984,532,000 population with 5,500 Missionaries: 1 for every 179,000
- Unreligious – 831,267,000 population with 11,700 Missionaries: 1 for every 71,000
- Muslims – 1,703,146,000 population with 4,200 Missionaries: 1 for every 405,500
- Buddhists – 520,002,000 population with 2,000 Missionaries: 1 for every 260,000
Did you know you can fully support a native missionary in the 10/40 Window for only $100-150 a month? To see our great missions opportunities, please click the green button below!
Do you have a burden to reach the unreached? Message Ministries supports indigenous ministries all throughout the 10/40 Window! To take a virtual tour of our mission work, please click the green button below!
If these statistics moved you, please read our stirring article Missing the Mission: Is the Modern Church Discipling All Nations?
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