Since Barrett and Johnson told us only 0.1% of Christian monies collected goes toward the unevangelized world, Evangelicals in the U. S. have rightly cried “inappropriate!”
Their stat preaches well.
This number makes for passionate blog posts.
It will rally the troops.
Yes, we need to reallocate our international expenses, and people and time, too.
Yet a double standard is at play. Some of the very ones advocating more for the unreached “over there” are the very ones doing very little to reach the unreached people groups living in their U. S. and Canadian neighborhoods.
Are the greatest needs outside of North America? Absolutely! And more, much more, must be freed up for reaching the unreached in other countries.
If we are going to rail against the 0.1% that more will go elsewhere, let’s also make sure we are doing more to reach the unreached peoples here.
Consider this:
- The overwhelming majority of church planting efforts in the United States and Canada are taking place among reached people groups, not among the 570 unreached people groups living in North America.
- The overwhelming majority of our financial resources being spent in the United States and Canada are being used for ministry among reached people groups.
- The overwhelming majority of our “missionary” time is allocated to reached people groups.
It is time to drop the double standard.
