The Assemblies of God World Missions Embarks on Major Global Initiative
(Photo: Assemblies of God News)
The Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) has taken a bold step with its most ambitious initiative in over 70 years, aiming to extend its reach to the world’s unengaged and unreached people groups. This effort was revealed during the 2025 Assemblies of God General Council held in Orlando, Florida, from August 4-8.
AGWM Executive Director John Easter described this strategic move as the largest mobilization since the organization’s inception, declaring, “This initiative represents what we believe will usher in the greatest spiritual harvest our generation has seen.”
Current statistics indicate that 42% of the global population, which totals 8.2 billion, remain untouched by the gospel. This includes 500 million individuals in Europe, with over 202 million people belonging to 2,085 unengaged unreached people groups (UUPGs) that lack access to churches, missionaries, or believers. AGWM emphasized that this is due to a lack of access rather than rejection of the gospel.
Upon taking leadership in 2023, Easter was struck by the persistent challenge of reaching the unreached 42% and sought divine guidance. His resolve intensified during a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2024, attended by superintendents and missions directors.
“This frustration just emerged in my heart,” Easter shared, challenging attendees, “When are we going to take the 42% and step out, commit ourselves, and make it 41%? What if we took the 42% and made it 40%, 39%, 38%?”
Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay, who also serves as vice chairman of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, echoed Easter’s sentiments, indicating a renewed urgency for evangelism. “It’s not just an AGWM thing. It’s not just a World Assemblies of God thing. It’s an Assemblies of God USA thing,” Clay said.
Easter further noted the divine prompting felt by leadership, stating, “We discerned that the Spirit of God was saying this is where He is already redemptively moving. The issue is whether we will follow.”
The AGWM has set an ambitious target to bolster its missionary count from 2,569 to 4,000 by 2033, aiming to focus efforts on areas with the most spiritual need. “With the gospel access vision in mind, AGWM will intentionally direct its missionary efforts toward the populations with the greatest spiritual need,” the organization stated.
Emphasizing the importance of Generation Z, AGWM NextGen Strategist Jacob Jester stated that this generation must be integral to the mission, reaching those who have never heard of Jesus. “Gen Z is the largest generation in history,” Jester noted. “We believe that if we can begin to walk with this generation from the point of the calling to the place of the calling, we’re going to see this mobilization force that begins to go into those places that nobody’s ever gone before.”
AGWM leaders recognize the daunting scale of the mission but remain optimistic due to the unity and enthusiasm witnessed at the Orlando event. Mobilization director Sarah Jump remarked on the hopefulness, saying, “The sense in the room was: This is not impossible. This is absolutely something we can get behind and we can do.”
© Christian Daily International
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
