How is Missions?
February 2024
GFF is actively ministering to missionaries in establishing Baptist churches in name and nature, in areas where there is no existing Gospel presence. Our conviction is rooted in the belief that missions should be executed with a sense of urgency, unwavering integrity, and deep empathy.
The Joshua Project, a research initiative, is dedicated to identifying and spotlighting the ethnic people groupsaround the world with the least exposure to the Gospel of Christ. Their research reveals that there are over 7,400 people groups devoid of both the Bible and a body of believers. To emphasize the scale of this challenge, if we were to pray for one of these groups daily, it would take more than 20 years to cover the list once. According to the World Population Review, approximately 160,000 individuals pass from this world to the next every day, underscoring the urgency to intentionally reach those who have never encountered the Gospel.
The late Pastor and Evangelist Oswald J. Smith once remarked, “We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first.” This prompts us to question the urgency in our approach to missions.
Shockingly, 95% of those preparing for full-time ministry in the US opt to remain within the country for their service. Less than 1% target regions without a Gospel presence, especially those in challenging access locations. Moreover, many missionaries fail to establish churches as independent or based on a reproducible pattern that aligns with both the culture and budget of the new converts. This raises concerns about the integrity of how we account for missions.
In addition, missionary families working in remote and restricted areas endure trials, trauma, and terror, which are considered part of the norm in missionary life. Regrettably, these abnormal circumstances lead half of all missionaries to leave the field, often abandoning ministry altogether within two to five years. The most common reason cited for departing from the field permanently is the lack of preparation for the challenges they would face. Many of these challenges could have been addressed through prior preparation or timely intervention. This leads us to question where empathy fits into our mission strategy.
GFF is committed to approaching missions with a sense of urgency, ensuring accountability with integrity, and executing missions with genuine empathy. We humbly request your prayers for us, our work, and for the lost as we strive to serve Christ faithfully as stewards of the time we have been given.
Blessed to Serve,
GFF General Director