More Stats

According to Bob Sjogren, it took from the beginning of church history until the year 1900 for committed believers to become 2.5% of the world population. It took only 70 more years for that percentage to double. By 1970, committed believers were 5 % of a much larger world population. Then it took just 22 years to double again.

In 1992, committed believers grew to become 10% of a still larger world population. According to George Otis of the Sentinel Group, about 70% of all the church’s outreach since its beginning until today has been accomplished in this century alone, and about 70% of what has been accomplished in this century has taken place since 1945. And 70% of what has happened since 1945 has happened in this decade of the 1990s. According to missionary statistics, over 260,000 people every day are now being presented the plan of salvation, and there is a growing sense of excitement among missiologists that we could actually be within striking distance of seeing the gospel presented to every known people group within the lifetime of some who are in his great hall tonight.

But the greatest areas of harvest are outside of North America. Only about 15% of the worldwide body of Christ lives in North America, and we aren’t doing so well. Eighty-five percent of our churches are plateaued or declining.