$$ and Decreased Short-Term Missions 2009 Part 2

Part 2: A Better Future

Hello! In part 1 of this 2-part blog, I've asked questions about short-term outreach business in the grips of the economic crisis.

I ended Part 1 with the following question: SO, what will happen to the work of the Lord and the National Church in the countries that see a drop in short-term missionaries from the USA???

ANSWER: Not sure, but there is the massive potential for a better future of the National Churches and the work of God in all the countries of the world.

Background: 15% on average

Here's the background. In the Latin block, which includes Mexico... from the US-Mex border to the tip of Argentina in South America... the data indicates that each Latin country has around 10-20% of it's population reporting to be Evangelical Christians... average of 15%

The Mexican government is reporting an overall 9.9% Protestant population (be careful when you visit their website, the math is confusing... I calculated off the raw data numbers)

WHHHHAT? You say! Yes, toss all that stuff about 'Mexico is 99% Catholic'... Mexican Govt, 2000 says the Catholic % is 88%, but that only 46% attend Catholic services regularly... most people believe that 'cultural Catholicism' accounts for the other 42%, meaning they think they are Catholic, even though they only attend Christmas, 15th birthdays, weddings and funerals...

The rise of the middle class in Latin America has corresponded directly with the rise of a significant percentage of Evangelical Christians. Some countries run average 12-15%, while others run 22-25%. Romine Ministries reports Guatemala at 22%, the Assemblies report Nicaragua at 18%. In Mexico, some regions run 14% (Chiapas and Tobasco), while other areas run less (Baja Norte/Tijuana: 5.6% ). These statistics are actually, in many cases hard governmental census data, such as the Mexican numbers.

In Mexico, the politics of the country has made a significant outreach to the Evangelical voting block, and the current Mexican President, Filipe Caldaron is a declared Evangelical.

OK... so basically 1 out of every 5-10 Latinos are Evangelicals. 10-20%.

The Better Future

Here's my idea: let the economic crisis keep the short-term missionaries home. It's time the 15% Latin Evangelicals get out of their nice chairs and begin to do the China thing.

What's the China thing? Well, communist China is closed to short-term missionary efforts. The vibrant Chinese church has gone totally ballistic in reaching out to people for the Kingdom. More people become Christians every day in China than all the other places on earth combined ... and the evangelism is 99% done by Chinese Christians.

Maybe a closed China is the best thing.

Maybe a Latin America unvisited-by-Western-short-term would also be a great thing.

SO... here I am, hoping that the Latin Evangelicals will get up out of their chairs, see that the Americans are not coming any more, and hear the still, small Voice of God that it's now their time to set aside their dependant-on-American ways... and RISE UP within their own countries and cities!!!

This could be a glorious and better future... a Latin church that is walking in responsibility, having seen that taking such responsibility and action gets quite the backing of GOD on their behalf... a strong and healthy and effective Latin church for Latin America.

My greatest hope is that, in a decade, the Latin leaders will invite us all over for burritos and show us how they did it.

That, in my view is a better... and more Biblical... future for Latin America.

(note: this blog updated 20 April becuase I had goofed the numbers previously... for the Mexican Gov't numbers, go to
http://www.inegi.org.mx/est/contenidos/espanol/rutinas/ept.asp?t=mrel08&s=est&c=2589

... I apologise for trusting old data notes, when the Mex gov't has revised their numbers to be more accurate)