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"Christianity on the Cheap"

Analysis

Analysis: reaching World A & B peoples in World B countries

The emphasis of Momentum is on reaching the unreached. To achieve that goal, however, we need to be well aware of where the unreached live. We need to keep a strong, unwavering eye on them. And the fact is, the “unreached” do not typically live in large numbers in the most-restricted places, but in fact in the more open places.

To illustrate this, consider the World A/B/C schema tracked by the World Christian Database and applied to individuals, groups and countries:

• it applies to individuals (based on whether the person has been evangelized and whether they are a Christian—a single individual can only be in one category)
• it applies to people groups: groups where less than 50% of the members are evangelized are World A; groups that are more than 50% evangelized but less than 60% Christian are World B, and groups that are more than 60% Christian are World C. (Note that even if 1 billion Chinese were 60% Christian, that would leave 400 million non-Christians—an enormous job left to do).
• it applies to countries (again, on the basis of where the majority of individuals within a group fall, using the same percentages as above).

The typical quote is that less than 1% of mission activity occurs amongst World A groups, while something like 90% of mission activity occurs amongst World C groups. There are plenty of arguments about that imbalance. Clearly, there is an imbalance, but the right ratio between World A and World C is debatable.

At the same time, while debating the ratio between World A & World C, we neglect the third state. If 1% of activity goes to World A (those who have never heard) and 90% goes to World C (who have heard and are affiliated with a church), then only about 9% of activity goes to World B (those who have heard but have not yet accepted).

I bring this up because World B areas are generally more open to Christianity (or at least religious freedom). They often have a (perhaps smallish) church already in existence. And what’s interesting is that, as of 2005, World A & B people groups in World B countries—e.g. hardcore unevangelized groups and less-evangelized groups in somewhat more open countries—represented 1.9 billion people.

In other words, a substantial number of unreached individuals are in situations where they might be more easily reached—yet receive less than 10% of mission activity.

Let’s look at a sampling of some of these. Some might be surprising. All of the following are moderately evangelized but clearly majority non-Christian countries in which there is a degree of openness:

Albania: home to 2.6 million Tosk Albanians (<36% Christian, World B).

Bahrain: 0.4m Bahraini Arabs.

Bangladesh: 105 million Bengalis, 0.3% Christian

Benin: 0.6 million Bariba, 0.3 million Fula.

Bosnia: 2m Serbo-Croats.

Botswana: Yeye, Kgatia Tswana.

British Indian Ocean: 1k Creole-speakers.

Burkina Faso: 6.2m Mossi, 0.7m Gurma.

Cameroon: 1.3m Adamawa Fulani, 0.4m minor peoples.

Central African Republic: 0.1m Bororo Fulani, 79k Shuwa Arabs.

China: 795m Mandarin-speaking Han Chinese, 49m Jinyu Chinese. Yes, there is openness in China. It’s a World B country now.

Christmas Island: Handfuls of Han Chinese and Malay.

Cuba: 8.1m Cuban Whites, 1.3m Blacks. World B country, folks. Deserving of focus.

Czech Republic: 9.4m Czechs, 7k Jews.

Egypt: 42.9m Egyptian Arabs, 20.2m Upper Egyptian Arabs.

Eritrea: 1.0m Tigre, 0.4m Danakil.

Estonia: 0.6m Northern Estonians, 0.3m Russians.

Ethiopia: 3.9m Somalis, 5.5m Ittu.

Fiji: 0.2m Fijian Hindi, 31k Bihari.

Ghana: 0.6m Dagomba.

Guyana: 0.3m Hindi.

India: 78m Bengali, 80m Maratha.

Indonesia: 56m Javanese, 23m Sundanese.

Ivory Coast: 1.4m Malinke, 1.1m Southern Senufo

Japan: 122m Japanese.

Kazakhstan: 8.6m Kazakhs, 0.3m Uzbeks.

Kuwait: 1.1m Kuwaiti Arabs.

Lebanon: 0.4m Palestinian Arabs, 0.2m Northern Kurds.

Liberia: 0.6m Kpelle, 0.2m Mano.

Madagascar: 1.2m Tsimihety, 1.0m Antaisaka

Malaysia: 7.1m Malay, 1.1m Banjarese

Mauritius: 0.3m Indo-Mauritian (Hindi), 0.2m Indo-Mauritian

Mozambique: 2.9m Makuana, 1.7m Makua, 1.0m Chwabo, 1.1m Tswa, 1.5m Sena, 1.3m Lomwe, bunch more

Myanmar: 28m Burmese, 3.2m Burmese Shan, 2.1m Arakanese, 1.1m Yangbye, 1.1m Mon, bunch more

Netherlands: 12.8m Dutch (58% Christian, heavily evangelized, World B!!), 0.1m Turks, 0.1m Moroccan Arabs, 0.1m East Indian, bunch more

New Zealand: 2.4m New Zealanders (50% Christian, World B!), 29k Indo-Pakistanis, more

Nigeria: 19.9m Hausa, 6.3m Toroobe Fulani, 4m Yerwa Kanuri, 2.2m Sokoto Fulani, 1.9m Western Fulani, 2.2m Haabe Fulani, 1.1m Nupe, hundreds more smallish groups

Northern Cyprus: 0.1m Turkish Cypriot

Palestine: 3.2m Palestinian Arabs, 0.3m Jewish, 0.1m Russian Jews

Qatar: 96k Persians, 83k Qatari Arabs, 84k Palestinian Arabs, 59m African Bantu, 58m Syrian Arabs, more

Russia: 5.3m Tatar, 0.8m Chechen, 1.2m Bashkir, 0.5m Avar, 1.6m Chuvash, 0.5m Kazakh, more

Sierra Leone: 1.3m Temne, 1.3m Mende, dozens more smallish groups

Singapore: 0.5m Peranakan, 0.5m Malay, half-dozen moderate sized Chinese groups, more

South Korea: 46m South Koreans, 0.9m Japanese, more

Sri Lanka: 13m Sinhalese, 1.4m Ceylon Moor, 2.4m Ceylon Tamil, 1.0m Indian Tamil, more

Sudan: 5.1m Sudanese Arab, 1.0m Beja, 2.3m Gaaliin, 1.0m Guhayna, 1.0m Arabs, many many more

Suriname: 0.1m Caribbean Hindi, 56k Caribbean Javanese

Svalbard & Jan Mayen: 2k Russians

Syria: 14m Syrian Arabs, 1.3m Beoduin Arabs, 1.3m Western Kurds, more

Taiwan: 16m Taiwanese, 3.6m Mandarin, 2.3m Hakka

Tanzania: 1m Makonde, 1.3m Nyamwezi, 3.6m Sukuma, dozens more

Thailand: 16m Northeastern Tai, 20m Central Thai, 6m Northern Tai, 5m Southern Tai, 5.2m Han Chinese, 3.2m Pattani Malay, 1.1m Northern Khmer, dozens more

Togo: 0.5m Wachi, 0.2m Kotokoli, 0.2m Bimoba, 0.7m Kabre, more

Trinidad: 0.4m East Indian

United Arab Emirates: 0.2m Gulf Bedouin, 0.3m Gulf Arab, 0.2m Southern Baluch, 0.1m Eastern Pathan, more

Vietnam: 69.9m Vietnamese, 1.5m Tay, 1.2m Muong, 0.8m Highland Nung, 1.1m Central Khmer, 1.3m Han Chiense, many more

Zimbabwe: 1.6m Ndebele, 0.6m Chewa, many more

We often think of the least evangelized as people who have no access to the Gospel—and the implication is due to restrictiveness. But it can also be due to apathy, due to no one offering them the Gospel. Why are New Zealanders on this list? The reality is that over 50% have heard but less than 60% have accepted it. There is more work to be done. The same could be said for many of the African countries on this list.

If World A/B peoples in World B countries represent 1.9 billion of the 2.5 billion unevangelized individuals in the world, then aren’t these peoples a real priority? The highly restrictive nations like Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia in reality represent only a very small part of the problem, and many of those are areas we can’t help right now… but World B countries can be brought the Good News. All of these countries are worth resources and do not receive enough resources now. And this does not even include the World A/B peoples in the more open World C countries!

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