VIDEO: Status of Global Evangelization in 2020

In this short video, Steve Schirmer of Silk Road Catalyst explains and responds to data about the status of global evangelization compiled by Joshua Project—including the estimate, published in 2007, that 86% of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists do not personally know someone who follows Christ. Is that still true?

» Check out other videos on SRC’s YouTube channel.

CORRECTION: After contact with Joshua Project, we’ve discovered that the percentage of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists who personally know someone who follows Jesus has actually gotten a bit worse, rather than better. Too bad! If you click on the link above it will take you to a newly revised version of the JP handout.

Need the details? A JP data hound directed us to what the newest edition of World Christian Encyclopedia says about the matter, in a table titled Personal Contact, 2020. This lists by region how many Buddhists know a Christian, how many Hindus know a Christian, how many Muslims know a Christian, and a catch-all group “All non-Christians.”

“Personal contact in the second table measures the number of non-Christians who personally know a Christian by applying a formula to each ethnolinguistic people group. Values for each country, region and continent produce a global total. Although these numbers are estimates, they offer a preliminary assessment of a critical shortfall in Christian mission. Globally, 87% of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims have relatively little contact with Christians.” (p. 943)

Note the language has changed a bit, too. WCE’s summary statement says “Have relatively little contact,” rather than “personally know,” as in previous statements Though they are still using the term “personal contact” in the same discussion.

Need a source you can cite? Here you go:

Todd M. Johnson and Gina A. Zurlo, World Christian Encyclopedia 3rd Edition, Edinburgh University Press, 2019. 943.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Missions Catalyst welcomes comments, especially those that provide additional insights on a topic or story as a help to other readers. We reserve the right to screen comments and may provide light editing. Note that comments including links may be delayed so we can make sure they are not spam; we hope you will include relevant links, anyway!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.