Possible?
More than 4 billion people still have not received an
adequate witness of Jesus Christ. How can we reach them?
Multitudes are separated from the hope of the gospel for a
variety of reasons. Some are unreached due to the remoteness of their
geographic location or culture. Others are separated from the message of Christ
because of rejection by surrounding societies. Still others belong to a group
that is spiritually resistant or live in a country whose government restricts
missionary ministry.
Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in
the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14 NASV). In recent months, we have presented a series of cover stories about the
Church’s unfinished task.
While our Lord is still calling many in our nation to leave
family and friends to take the message of Christ to those yet unreached in our
world, we believe most unreached people groups will be evangelized by the
national churches planted by missionaries over the past 90 years. Now mature
and self-propagating, a growing number of these fellowships are becoming a
rapidly emerging force in fulfilling the Great Commission before our Lord’s
return.
Nowhere is this fact more effectively exemplified than in
Burkina Faso. In the last 15 years, the Burkina Faso fellowship has sent and
fully supported more than 800 missionaries to 45 people groups within the
nation.
This month, TPE Managing Editor Kirk Noonan, photographer
Gaylon Wampler and Randy Tarr, AGWM area director for West Africa, take Evangel readers on an inspiring trip with Burkina Faso national missionaries who are
proclaiming Christ to the unreached. You will witness how the message of Christ
is multiplied through the missionary efforts of a national church that was
established by U.S. AG missionaries who effectively passed on their vision and
spirit of sacrifice. Today, the Burkina Faso AG is passionately committed to
reaching the unreached in its nation and beyond.
RANDY HURST is communications director for AG World
Missions.
