Opportunities and Obstacles to Missions

Of the 5.7 billion people in the world, 3.6 billion claim no membership in any Christian denomination.

Of 6,700 languages worldwide, the Bible or Bible portions have been translated into about 3,000 languages.

The world's 11,000 unreached peoples groups cannot be reached by "near neighbor" evangelism, but need instead called, trained and sent cross-cultural workers.

With the exception of communist and formerly communist areas, few unreached peoples are atheists or agnostics; most adhere to Islam, Buddhism, animism or another religion. Belief in "alternate pathways" to salvation presents an enormous barrier to church planting.

Thirty-five countries remain closed to Christian missionary activity. Another 15 are highly restricted.

The ever-increasing flow of immigrants to the United States presents tremendous cross-cultural mission opportunities. More than 250 different languages are spoken here now.

(Information on this page is courtesy the LCMS Board for Mission Services)