The Hardest to Reach, Part I
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Each day this week, in preparation for Day of the Unreached, we're investigating different aspects of the challenges of reaching all peoples with the Gospel.
When a people group lives many days' travel from the closest town of any size, without communication or transportation infrastructure, their isolation makes them understandably difficult to reach with the Word of God.
But there are others who live in places where the political climate creates barriers to following Jesus — or to hearing the Gospel at all.
The Joshua Project has identified 12 such areas, representing unreached peoples who live under the rule of governments that are hostile toward followers of Christ and who are actively working against the spread of the gospel.
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| But there are others who live in places where the political climate creates barriers to following Jesus –– or to hearing the Gospel at all. |
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Today, we're highlighting the first 6 of these 12 areas:
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North Korea. The government is a single-party dictatorship and does not permit dissenting political or religious views outside of the state-imposed religion of Juche. The estimated 25 million inhabitants of North Korea live under totalitarian rule with the vast majority considered to be unreached. North Korea is recognized as being the most dangerous country on earth in which to be a Christian. Christianity is considered a crime against the government, and Christians — often turned in by their own friends and family members — can be imprisoned in one of a number of labor camps or even killed.
Despite its high percentage of unreached individuals, the presence of Christian foreigners — through aid work and development projects — can impact lives through their testimony and example.
Ministries are working with North Koreans who have escaped to China or South Korea, or are working in Russia. A network of couriers makes the dangerous journey back and forth between China and North Korea regularly. There is a growing underground church movement in North Korea.
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Afghanistan. Afghanistan's nearly 40 million residents are almost entirely Muslim. In fact, it is illegal for an Afghani citizen to convert from Islam to another religion. The unstable political climate, violent opposition to Christianity, disparate languages, and low literacy rate make it difficult to reach these individuals. Afghani Christians face persecution from friends, neighbors, the Taliban, and ISIS, and may be incarcerated, sent to mental hospitals, tortured, or put to death because of their faith.
Afghanistan continues to be one of the most unreached places on earth. Missionaries to Afghanistan risk everything to create a witness for the Gospel. A number have been martyred over the last decade.
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Somalia. Somalia has long been a country beset with turmoil from civil war, tribalism, and violent Islamic extremists. The unstable political situation, coupled with pressing humanitarian issues such as famine, mean life is harrowing for all 15.8 million Somalis, regardless of religion. Christians in particular are especially threatened, as they can be executed on the spot for being exposed as a convert to Christianity.
While violence and persecution are a challenge to spreading the Gospel, there are courageous testimonies of Somalis turning to Christ!
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Yemen. This Middle Eastern country of nearly 30 million has experienced years of conflict and infighting, coupled with famine and lack of clean drinking water. Churches cannot meet openly and converting to Christianity from Islam is forbidden. In addition to violent persecution, physical hardships have made it very hard for missionaries and gospel workers from outside to serve in the country.
Yemen once had a strong Christian presence, but it was almost completely wiped out by the 7th Century Muslim conquest. We pray for a return of Christianity to Yemen!
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Iran. The Iranian government, run by Islamic law, is hostile to Christians. As a result, the 84 million Iranians face intense pressure against conversion activities. The Iranian government raids house churches, imprisons Christians, and persecutes converts and their families.
In spite of the oppression and persecution, there are an estimated 6 million Christians meeting secretly in Iran with more coming to Christ every day. Satellite ministries, like Iran Alive, are experiencing an unprecedented increase in viewership as more and more Iranians turn away for islam in search for truth.
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India. Since the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, persecution has been on the rise, particularly from Hindu radicals. Converts can be ostracized, persecuted, attacked, and even killed — with little protection from the government. Modi has publicly committed to rid the country of all Christians.
There are over 100,000 full-time ministry workers in India, but with a population of over 1.3 billion, the need for more people and resources is great! While English and Hindi are the only two official languages of India, the Indian people speak over 400 different languages and almost 20,000 dialects!
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We ask you that you join us in prayer for these unreached people, who are facing some of the hardest humanitarian and spiritual needs on the planet: "Father God, sustain the faith of believers throughout the world, especially those who are persecuted and imprisoned in North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Iran, and India. Lay bare the lies that governments and religious leaders are sharing, and let the truth of your Word reach every heart and mind. May those who witness on your behalf draw others to them. We know all this is possible for you, Lord, who told us, 'Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?' (Jeremiah 32:27)." The Great Commission is the pressing motivation behind the iBIBLE project — a complete Biblical narrative presented in a visual and interactive format translated into every living language. To find out more and to support the project, please visit www.i.BIBLE. |
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