The Great American Mission Field

It should come as no surprise to you that North America is one of the world’s neediest mission fields.

Yet there is a traditional tendency to think that this is not the case. After all, the United States has been blessed to be a great missionary sending nation. However, North America is a land of great spiritual need. The population of the United States is the third-largest in the world, boasting over 330 million souls. When Canada and Mexico are included, the total population of North America swells to almost 500 million people.

In addition, the number of churches in North America is shrinking. Every single day, churches that are doctrinally congruent with the one you attend are closing their doors. Currently, almost three out of ten American adults are religious “nones,” meaning they identify with no religious denomination or group. Plus, 80 percent of churches in the United States have plateaued or are in decline numerically, and only 1 percent are
growing as a result of conversions. Consequently, North America is the only continent in the world where Christianity is not growing!

If there has ever been a time to refocus our attention on reaching North America with the gospel, it is now! In some cases that will mean coming alongside of existing churches to help them renew their passion for reaching their communities for Christ. In other communities this will lead to planting new churches where there is little or no gospel witness.

Both approaches are vitally important. I trust that reading about both approaches will excite you about what we are asking God to do in the future through Baptist Mid-Missions and the missionaries and churches we serve. North America needs the gospel!