The Christian Appeal (June 2001)
Issue Theme: Saved by the Blood

As we say goodbye to the 1900’s and walk bravely into a brand new millennium, let me share some stats that ought to warm the heart of any Christian who reads them.

Perhaps I should begin by explaining that the following figures are not my computations. Sent to me by one of my mission-born nephews, these exciting calculations were compiled by one of the premier statisticians dealing with international Christian developments, a fellow named George Otis, Jr.

Of all the numerical growth of Christ’s kingdom since the Acts 2 Pentecost through 1995, Otis tells us, 70 percent has occurred in this century alone.
That’s not all. Of Christians converted in the 20th century, 70 percent came to Jesus since the end of World War II.

It gets better still. Of the total number of disciples won to Jesus since World War II, 70 percent have come to him since 1990.

Careful analysis of these figures demonstrates the incredible fact that 34 percent of all the people who have ever said “yes” to the Christian Gospel did so in the space of five years, between 1990 and 1995.

Otis says the trend hardly appears to be moderating. If the statistical pace he documented continued through the end of 1999, those who came to Christ in the last ten years of the Second Millennium outnumber all the Christians converted prior to 1990.
Surprising? You bet. To those of us who belong to dwindling denominations in America. We find these figures incredible. For too long we’ve thought the English-speaking white Protestant church was the whole show. While our affluent churches have been shrinking, Christian evangelism has been mushrooming in developing nations around the globe.

Evangelism statisticians like Otis told us that by the year 2000 the Christians in Latin and South America alone would outnumber those in the U.S. and the western world. And missionaries sent out by third-world churches would outnumber those we send to them.

Jesus is alive and well on Planet Earth, people. Christians should begin this new millennium giving thanks to their Lord for letting them live in a time when men and women are accepting the Good News at an unprecedented pace. And it looks like this may be the best year yet!

Copyright © 2001 The Christian Appeal