Mission Challenges

The 10/40 Window and key cities around the world.

It's true that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the world's most rapidly growing denominations: Adventist mission reaches 204 countries, touching lives through medical care, media, education, mission workers, Global Mission pioneers, outreach resources and so much more. Adventist mission is entering new areas. Establishing new congregations. Changing lives.

Yet huge challenges remain. The 10/40 Window, with 60 percent of the world's population, remains largely untouched by the gospel. The Christian church is in decline in the secular, postmodern West. And the huge mega cities of the world, where the church struggles to find a foothold, are growing rapidly.

The 10/40 Window

Today more than 500 cities have populations of more than one million people. As of 2009, more than of half the world's population live in urban areas.

Stretching from North Africa, through the Middle East, and into East Asia, the 10/40 Window is home to more than two-thirds of the earth's population, many of the world's major religions, the largest and fastest-growing cities, some of the world's poorest people, and the fewest Christians. Many living within this region have never heard the name of Jesus.

For years the Christian church has spent the vast majority of its resources in areas where Christianity is known. Through the Global Mission initiative, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has made the 10/40 Window a priority in mission.

Today Adventist missionaries, pastors, laypeople and Global Mission pioneers are carrying the message of hope to the 10/40 Window. Much still needs to be done, but your loving donations and prayers are making a difference. Thank you so much for your support of Adventist Mission!

Hope for Big Cities

Hope for Big Cities projects focus on establishing congregations within the rapidly growing populations of the world’s largest urban areas. Special offerings, taken three times last year, will provide seed money for new churches particularly in cities where the Adventist Church is struggling to gain a foothold.  At least 25 cities around the world are expected to benefit from this program. 

One of these projects is in Abidjan, the commercial and administrative center of Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa. Local church members plan to start a three-phase evangelistic effort in an unentered part of the city. Fewer than 10,000 Adventists live in this nation of nearly 17 million people.

In one unnamed country 40 pioneers are working to establish 80 house churches. More than 10,000 members now live in this hard-to-reach country where people’s lives can be threatened just for becoming a Seventh-day Adventist.

Another project will provide funding to send an evangelist to remote villages in an unnamed country where two years ago a number of Adventist teachers went to start small schools. In addition to teaching reading and writing, the teachers befriended families in the area and taught them about God. Local families were so impressed by the teachers that they asked for an evangelist to come and hold open meetings within their villages, so that the entire community can learn more about God.