The Unfinished Task: Why the Great Commission Still Matters Today

Our young Blaan and Tboli brethren from the DMI Missional Community at Datal Salvan.

The Great Commission is not a suggestion—it is the heartbeat of heaven.

When Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), He wasn’t giving the Church an optional mission. He was inviting us into His heart for the world—a heart that longs for every tribe, every tongue, and every people to know His love.

Yet, when we look at the current state of global missions, the numbers reveal a sobering truth:

There are over 7,000 unreached people groups in the world today.

That’s about 3 billion people—roughly 40–45% of the world’s population—who have little or no access to the Gospel. (Source: Joshua Project, 2024)

These are people without a Bible in their language, without a church nearby, and without a single believer in their community to tell them about Jesus.

Every number represents a soul. Every statistic hides a story waiting for redemption.

The 10/40 Window: The World’s Hardest Places

Most of these unreached groups live within what mission researchers call the 10/40 Window—a region stretching from North Africa through the Middle East to Asia, between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude. (Source: Joshua Project; Global Frontier Missions, 2024)

It’s home to the majority of the world’s Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and atheists, and it’s where poverty, persecution, and spiritual resistance are strongest.

But it’s also where the light of the Gospel is needed the most.

Evergreen Missionaries ministering at DMI MC Third Gate.

The Great Imbalance: A Call to Rethink Our Priorities

Here’s the reality that should shake us:

While over 40% of the world remains unreached, 97% of all Christian resources—including mission funds and workers—are still directed toward areas that already have the Gospel.

Only 3% go to the unreached and frontier fields. (Source: Lausanne Movement, 2024)

This isn’t just a strategic imbalance—it’s a spiritual one.

If God’s heart beats for the nations, why does so much of the Church’s focus stay within its comfort zone?

A 92-year-old man was being prayed for salvation and healing in a remote village in Mindanao, Philippines.

What This Means for Us

We can no longer say, “We didn’t know.”

Now that we do, the question becomes—what will we do with what we know?

Because the Gospel isn’t good news until it’s heard—by everyone.

Sources:

• Joshua Project, Global Unreached People Groups Data (2024)

• Lausanne Movement, The Great Imbalance Report (2024)

• Global Frontier Missions, Understanding the 10/40 Window (2024)