Following on from the first post that looked at the foreword of the original Operation World, we now dig into the preface.
PREFACE
We pray that this little booklet, so limited in its scope, will help the readers to see the great spiritual need of this world. The day of mission work is far from over, for there are many times more unsaved people alive today than on the day of Pentecost. Nearly half mankind is now out of reach of normal Christian work yet the other half has not yet been effectively reached and cry out for more Spirit-filled workers. The whole of suffering humanity cries out for those who will intercede for them that the Good News may reach them. We pray that many will be burdened to pray and some to go in person to serve our Lord Jesus to win precious souls to Him either near or far from home.
We have not covered any of the fields of our little Mission. Some day we would love to compile a more detailed account of our present fields in South, South-West. Central and East Africa, but here we have tried to give sufficient information that one who may know nothing about the countries mentioned will be able to pray intelligently and believingly for the needs elsewhere.
If the Lord burdens you for some specific area, we advise you to write to one of the addresses below. Here we have mentioned just a few of the Interdenominational Societies working in these areas, who would be delighted to add your name to their regular prayer lists, and send you regular information. The capital letters of these missions are to be found under the description of their field.
Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade
Evangelical Union of South America
Greater European Mission
Sudan United Mission
South Africa General Mission
China Inland Mission
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Red Sea Mission Team
North Africa Mission
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Since 1964, much has changed in Christian mission. Of the nine organizations mentioned, only one exists as the same entity with the same name. Four remain, but have changed their name and/or structure. Four others no longer exist, having been merged into other agencies.
Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade – founded in 1913 as Heart of Africa Mission, changed to Worldwide Evangelisation Crusade, then to Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ, and finally to WEC International.
Evangelical Union of South America – Formed from a merger of three entities at Keswick in 1911, this merged into Gospel Mission Union in 1975, which was then renamed to Avant in 2003.
Greater European Mission – founded as such in 1952.
Sudan United Mission – founded in 1904 with a vision to reach the Sahel region. Changed its name to Action Partners in 1989, and then in 2007 merged into Pioneers.
South Africa General Mission – founded in 1889 by a trio of people including Andrew Murray. Merged with South East Africa General Mission in 1894 and was renamed to Africa Evangelical Fellowship in 1965 until its eventual merger with SIM in 1998.
China Inland Mission – changed its name from China Inland Mission to Overseas Missionary Fellowship in 1964, and then to OMF International in the 1990s.
Wycliffe Bible Translators – founded in 1942, eventually expanded around the world to form a group of organizations now known as Wycliffe Global Alliance.
Red Sea Mission Team – founded in 1952, was later renamed to ReachAcross.
North Africa Mission – formed in 1881 as the Kabyle Mission. Over time, it incorporated Algiers Mission Band (which was begun by Lillias Trotter), Southern Morocco Mission, and Dades Valley Fellowship to become Arab World Ministries. In 2011, it was merged into Pioneers.
In this preface, von Staden mentions that “nearly half mankind is now out of reach of normal Christian work”. From 1964 to 2024, that proportion went from roughly 50% to around 28% – cutting down the world’s unevangelized population by such an amount is testament to so much faithful endeavour and travailing prayer.
Yet the absolute numbers of those beyond the ordinary reach of the good news have increased to an alarming degree. In 1964, half of the population being untouched by the gospel meant 1.67 billion people. In 2024, 28% of the world represents 2.28 billion people – a 37% increase! Despite all that has gone into global mission in the past 60 years, taking the good news to every person is that much further away. The unevangelized population is increasing faster than we are reaching them – an increase of more than 50,000 people every single day.
Less than a lifetime ago, the missionary challenge was a very different one. The Cold War loomed large, and the greatest threat to the global missionary endeavour was understood to be atheistic Communism. Christianity was still a majority-Western religion; the voices of Christian leaders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America were only beginning to be heard. Operation World’s own sources were primarily Western missionaries in those early days – in contrast to today! Of the now-thriving missionary movements sending workers from the Majority World, there was virtually no sign. Today, they comprise the majority of missionaries sent out. The testimonies on the OW60 web pages indicate the influence that Operation World played in this transition from harvest field to harvest force.
On a note of particular importance, the convergence of the mission, research, and prayer movements had not yet reached its true advent. There were some foreshadowing moments, such as William Carey’s Enquiry in 1792 and the World Mission Atlas in 1925. But many of the usual suspects of international mission as we know them today are conspicuously absent from this list. Although Loren Cunningham was already involved in mission, “Youth With A Mission” was not an entity until 1966. Operation Mobilization’s coming-of-age as a mission organization might be regarded as 1963, but George Verwer’s own great impact was still in its earliest days.
The Lausanne Movement did not exist until 10 years later; incidentally, this was the same year that Operation World started covering every country in the world with its first global edition. The World Christian Encyclopedia was not published until 1982. The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World initiative began in 1993. The Joshua Project and Praying Through the Window emerged a couple of years later, riding the momentum of the AD200 Movement. 24-7 Prayer hit the scene in 1999. It was not until after 9/11 that the IPC (International Prayer Council) came into being.
Today, there are more mission initiatives fuelled by intercession, more prayer movements driven by research, and more research efforts to mobilize mission than we can keep track of. But those first five editions of the full Operation World (1974, 1978, 1980, 1986, and 1993) provided a unique impetus in the advancement of this convergence.
The eternal impact of our accumulated prayers will never be known this side of the New Heaven and New Earth. In the same way, and as a result of Patrick’s vision and faithfulness, the effect of Operation World upon the past, present, and future cannot be measured. But until Jesus returns to fully reclaim and restore the Earth, we will continue to do what He has called us to do – research that inspires prayer, and prayer that changes the nations.