Gospel Infrastructure™

John Newton once counseled a pastor:

"I have not been disheartened by your apparent want of success. I have been told that skilful gardeners will undertake to sow and raise a salad for dinner in the short time while the meat is roasting. But no gardener can raise oaks with such expedition. You are sent to New Holland, not to sow salad seeds, but to plant acorns; and your labour will not be lost, though the first appearances may be very small, and the progress very slow. You are, I trust, planting for the next Century. I have a good hope that your oaks will one day spring up and flourish, and produce other acorns, which, in due time, will take root, and spread among … the nations."

How we define “unreached” in missions determines where we go, how long we stay, and what activities we engage in while there. We are working for the next century.

Long lasting and meaningful access to the gospel includes short-term and long-term investment in developing structures we see in the Bible like healthy local churches, pastoral training, gospel explainers in the local language, translations of Scripture, etc. We are tracking the status of these important gospel structures in various locations around the world.

Is there a healthy church or a strong CPer to join?

Theologically, methodologically aligned (e.g., meaningful membership, plurality of elders, etc); a nourishing spiritual context

1 - There are currently no healthy churches or none to recommend.
2 - Not on the ground yet, but a like-minded work is being planned.
3 - On the ground, forming though not established and/or high level of scrutiny.
4 - Yes, some limits to capacity (including: lack of ability to integrate new people whether due to lack of people to care for them or lack of enough people to be ballast for the church)
5 - Yes, there is a strong, healthy church that can receive new ex-pats.

Is the whole Bible available in the local language?

1 - None.

2 - Portions available

3 - Books available

4 - NT available OR a translation exists but quality issues (e.g., only from English to local language, not from original languages)

5 - Yes, fully available, is understandable, and translation is from original languages

Is there a good local seminary for pastoral training?

Note: ‘good’ begins with a commitment to biblical inerrancy.

1 - Not yet or the training is not recommended
2 - There are good ways that local pastors are trained but these are more ad hoc or led by outsiders
3 - Yes, there is clearly defined and on-going training in partnership with local churches, but dependent on outside resources
4 - Yes, there are sufficient resources within local churches to train local pastors
5 - Yes, there is a network of local churches training multiple local pastors on an on-going basis, and it is reproducing

Is Christian literature available?

1 - Not yet.
2 - Yes, but not theologically sound
3 - Yes, but with inadequate distribution
4 - Yes, with adequate distribution though consumption is not wide
5 - Yes, with adequate distribution AND consumption

Is there sufficient coverage by healthy local churches?

Note: health begins with commitment to Scripture including meaningful membership, plurality of leadership, and commitment to define church and church activity by the Bible.

1 - There are currently no healthy churches or they are growing in health.

2 - One healthy church exists

3 - Multiple healthy churches exist and they have planted a healthy church (e.g., Lucknow)

4 - Multiple healthy churches being planted by multiple local churches, but dependent on outside resources (e.g., Dubai)

5 - Yes, a network of many churches is working together and there is sustainable reproduction (e.g., Washington, DC)

Is there a good way for local pastors to be trained?

1 - Not yet or training is not good

2 - There are good ways that local pastors are trained but these are more ad hoc or led by outsiders

3 - Yes, there is clearly defined and on-going training in partnership with local churches, but dependent on outside resources

4 - Yes, there are sufficient resources within local churches to train local pastors

5 - Yes, there is a network of local churches training multiple local pastors on an on-going basis, and it is reproducing

Is evangelism happening at scale?

1 - None, or very limited happening

2 - Yes, but not widely and not predominantly by local/long-term believers

3 - Yes, widely but not predominantly by local/long-term believers

4 - Yes, in local language predominantly by local/long-term believers, but not widely

5 - Yes, in local language, widely, and predominantly by local/long-term believers

Is there local worship music with good theology available?

Note: assumption for levels 3-5 is songs with good theology.

1 - No, locals use Western songs in their own language or have written their own but with poor theology
2 - No, locals use Western songs in their own language and with good theology
3 - Yes, local songs written by foreigners
4 - Yes, local songs written by local believers
5 - Yes, local songs written by local believers and they are being sung widely among the churches