July 01, 1999 by

Presenting Sample Issues and Major Events for Each of the Last 20 Years

1979

EFMA Exec. Retreat on Unreached Peoples

"A Church for Every People by the Year 2000," first coined by McGavran, Bliss, Gill

Urbana '79, 75% response,

Mission Frontiers, first published

Pioneers, a new frontiers focused mission agency founded

1980

Melbourne, Conf. on World Mission and Evangelism

Adopt-A-People concept is first introduced in MF

Pataya, Thailand, Congress on World Evangelization

Edinburgh '80, World Consultation on Frontier Mission

International Student Consultation on Frontier Missions

1981

Frontier Fellowship founded, Global Prayer Digest follows

IFMA Frontier Peoples Committee formed

Urbana '81, 90% response, See 1979

1982

March: Chicago agreement on definitions of Unreached Peoples, Hidden Peoples

Publication of monumental World Christian Encyclopedia

Cameron Townsend finishes his race. Well Done!

1983

Bryant/ Concerts of Prayer meeting, Chicago

"Wheaton '83" (World Ev. Fellowship) - 3rd track stresses frontiers

John Piper first begins to proclaim God's glory and worship as the motivation for missions

Both IFMA and EFMA exec etreats emphasize the Unfinished Task

1984

IFMA/EFMA/AEPM joint retreat, at USCWM, confirms frontier interest

Founding of the International Journal of Frontier Missiology

Christianity Today features the Dr. Winter and the "Hidden Peoples"

1985

Perspectives course expands to 59 centers in U.S. and abroad

First national-level, true mission conferences held in Latin America

Unprecedented "Explo'85" meeting by CCCI, harnessing global satellite TV

McGavran gathers missiologists to consider GIANT STEP and Mission 2000

1986

Mandate '86 (800 students in Illinois), nine other regionals

Theological Students for Frontier Missions meets at USCWM

Caleb Resources meets 13,000 students face to face, works with agencies

Asia Missions Association meets on world level

1987

Mission '87 (7000 TEMA students meet at Amsterdam)

COMIBAM '87, First Latin American Congress on Missions

Last $1000 Campaign finishes with enough pledges to pay off USCWM campus.

1988

IFMA annual meeting focus is Countdown 2000

WEC targets 21 unreached peoples to be reached by 1990

Korean World Mission 1988 in USA draws 1400 to mobilize Korean Americans.

1989

January 1989 GCOWE I in Singapore, AD2000 and Beyond Movement is launched to reach every people and person.

2nd Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization

The Adopt-A-People Clearinghouse founded.

1990

The USCWM burns its mortgage! No more debt!

Dr. Donald McGavran dies,

South African student missions movement emerges

The Baptist General Conference targets 27 unreached peoples.

1991

African Inland Mission launches into the Adopt-A-People movement.

National Evangelism Movements emerge as part of the AD2000 and Beyond Movement

1992

The CoMission is launched with 45 mission agencies joining together to reach Russia.

500,000 March for Jesus in the US and Europe.

1993

October 1993, The first "Praying through the Window" prayer intitiative for the 10/40 Window is launched

The fifth edition of Operation World is published.

1994

June 24, "The Day That Changed the World" the largest prayer meeting in history, with 1 million in Korea alone, is focused on the unreached peoples

Wycliffe completes 400th New Testament translation .

1995

GCOWE '95 Seoul, Korea: most representative Christian meeting in history and focused on reaching unreached peoples.

Joshua Project 2000 launched by the AD2000 Movement to reach every people over 10,000 population with special MF issue.

1996

Gospel Recordings tops 4,680 languages with Gospel messages.

The revised Joshua Project 2000 list of unreached peoples printed in Mission Frontiers.

1997

GCOWE '97 in Pretoria, South Africa helps African mission leaders focus on the unreached peoples.

Praying Through the Window III focused on the unreached peoples.

Jesus Film Project reaches 1 billion people and targets 4 billion more by AD2000

1998

Bethany World Prayer Center reaches its goal of producing profiles on all 1739 Joshua Project peoples over 10,000 population.

Revision of Perspectives reader completed.

Patrick Johnstone's new book,The Church is Bigger than You Think , is released.