Defining “The Unreached”

JANUARY 9, 2023   |   1.5 MINUTE READ
JACE MARTIN, STAFF WRITER

How long would it take you to get to the nearest Christian church right now?

How quickly could you get in touch with a Christian mentor, someone who could give you advice on your faith walk?

How fast could you find out what Romans 10:14–15 says?

Many of you would immediately swipe out of your email app on your phone and pull up your Bible app of choice. If you’re a little bit old-school, you would open a new tab on your computer’s internet browser. If you’re really retro, you’d pull out a paper Bible and flip through using the book, chapter, and verse references.

You might even have it memorized!

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14–15 NIV)

For those of us living in places where Christianity is ubiquitous, these tasks would not take long. But for one-third of the world, these resources—Scripture, church, believers—are inaccessible.

These people are designated as unreached, which means they have no way of hearing about Jesus, even if they wanted to. They have no access to a church, no way to read the Bible, and no relationship with a Christian.

This is why WGM has partnered with an organization called A Third of Us, named after the 3 billion people who have never had the chance to know Jesus. This alliance—formed by more than fifty organizations like WGM—is focused on reversing the growing number of unreached people.

When we follow Jesus and His life of prayer, He will lead us to people and places that need to know they are loved by Him. And as we follow Him, we will begin to find our role in the Great Commission, as we faithfully obey God’s call on our lives.