This is an article from the July-August 1992 issue: The Evangelical Free Church of America Launches Boldly into the Adopt-A-People Movement

The Evangelical Free Church Launches A Bold New Adopt-A-People Strategy

The Evangelical Free Church Launches A Bold New Adopt-A-People Strategy

The bulk of this article is the text of a proposal to the denominational leadership by Bruce Camp, the current National District Missions Coordinator for the Evangelical Free Church. This proposal has recently been approved. This internal church document is printed here to give you the background, scope and direction of this new mission thrust. It is also a good example of what any denomination can do to launch an Adopt-A-People program of their own.-- Editor

The Meaning of the Following Proposal:

The Evangelical Free Church Mission (the mission agency of the Evangelical Free Church of America) exists to glorify God through making disciples of Jesus Christ and incorporating them into congregations with the same purpose.

While we have been planting churches among unreached peoples for a number of years, we believe that the Lord of the Harvest is calling us to a greater expenditure of energy and efforts in reaching the hidden people groups in the world. As a mission, we will continue to expand in areas worthy of church planting efforts (reached people groups), and at the same time increase our emphasis in reaching various pockets of humanity that have yet to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ (unreached people groups).

The document which follows, was presented to the leadership team of the Evangelical Free Church Mission in late July of 1992. The purpose of the document was to give the various leaders within our mission a chance to interact with the proposed strategy prior to our launching an unreached peoples emphasis. While the actual outworkings of the strategy will be refined as we proceed with this emphasis, this document should give the readers of Mission Frontiers an idea of where we are headed as a mission and how we are going to get there.

The Proposal

July 30, 1992

To: Missions Department Staff

Regarding: Proposal for an Adopt-A-People Strategy for the EFCM

The Board of Overseas

Missions Decision

At the May 1992 Board of Overseas Missions (BOM) meeting an Adopt-A- People strategy was approved by the BOM with the idea that I would serve as the point person in developing and implementing an Adopt-A- People program for the Evangelical Free Church Mission (EFCM). Below are some thoughts on the subject which I would like you to consider.

Context

The human world of 5.5 billion inhabitants can be divided into 24,000 distinct groups of people. It is estimated that approximately 38% of the 5.5 billion (2.1 billion individuals) can not hear the gospel. These 2.1 billion individuals can be divided into 6 major categories within which there are 11,000 unreached people groups. These unreached groups are:

3,800 Muslim people groups in which 865 million people live. 2,700 Tribal people groups in which 90 million people live. 1,800 Hindu people groups in which 546 million people live. 900 Chinese people groups in which 150 million people live. 900 Buddhist people groups in which 261 million people live. 900 other people groups in which 188 million people live.

Key Definitions

(From a 1982 meeting sponsored by the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization.)

People Group: A significantly large ethnic/sociological grouping of individuals who perceive themselves to have a common affinity for one another. From the viewpoint of evangelization this is the largest group within which the gospel can spread as a church-planting movement without encountering barriers of understanding and acceptance.

Unreached People Group: A people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without requiring outside (cross-cultural) assistance.

Further Elaboration

There exists some confusion as to what is and what is not an unreached people group as the definition of an unreached people group is very technical and difficult to verify. This confusion has been fueled by various agencies proposing groups for adoption that should not be classified as unreached groups.

The Adopt-A-People Clearinghouse has suggested the following working criteria to be used by agencies and churches as a grid to determine what the Clearinghouse will be able to list as an unreached people group.

A. An unreached people group must have:

  1. A proper name--an identity either self-perceived or assigned.
  2. A location--where significant numbers of that group can be identified geographically.

B. An unreached people group must meet one of the following five criteria:

  1. The people group has not heard the gospel.
  2. The people group has not responded. (Normally for the EFCM, this means that 1% or less of the people group are born-again Christians.)
  3. The people group does not have a church.
  4. The people group does not have the Word of God translated into their mother tongue.
  5. The people group does not have the Word of God readily available.

Proposed EFCM Adopt-A-People Strategy

A. Research Stage

  1. Solicit unreached people group names from our country leaders.
  2. Ask Terry Riley (an EFCA missionary working in the Clearinghouse office) to appraise the list of suggested unreached people groups to determine if each suggestion qualifies as an unreached people group.
  3. Seek input from several agencies (such as CBFMS, BGC, AIM, SIM, GEM, USCWM, and Adopt-A-People Clearinghouse) as to what works and what does not in promoting unreached people groups.
  4. Elicit case studies from numerous churches of different sizes to glean ideas of promoting the concept. These case studies might eventually be compiled into a "How To" book for adopting an unreached people group. I will be surveying approximately 50 churches to ascertain "the keys to success in launching and sustaining an adopt-a- people emphasis."

B. Initial Implementation Stage

  1. Meet during July 27-31 with the EFCM staff to discuss the adopt-a- people concept.
  2. Communicate with our various overseas missionary leaders regarding the proposed unreached people groups in order to double-check that each field is planning either through missionaries and/or the national church to evangelize a given people group. Also, obtain any additional information necessary for promotion of their particular unreached people group.
  3. After securing an affirmative response from field leaders about their intentions to evangelize the unreached people groups and obtaining any additional necessary information, immediately begin to promote unreached people groups for adoption.

The following groups are what I tentatively and initially have in mind for adoption. More specific information will be needed about each people group. For example, some estimates indicate that there are 75 significantly different kinds of people groups who are Iranian Muslims. It would be imprecise to classify the Muslim people group we are working with in Belgium as Iranian Muslims. So for strategical reasons, we need to be as precise as possible. However, for general promotional purposes, we may use non-technical language, such as Iranian Muslims, so as not to confuse our constituency.

  1. Austria--Turkish Muslims
  2. Belgium--Iranian Muslims
  3. Brazil--Muslims
  4. Germany--Kurds
  5. Germany--Turks
  6. Hong Kong--Pakistani Hindus
  7. Macau--Chinese
  8. Philippines--Waray-Waray
  9. Philippines--Porohanon
  10. Tanzania--Muslims
  11. United Kingdom--Muslims
  12. Zaire--Bamwe (Water people)

4. Steps in promotion

a. Produce an unreached peoples profile on each of the groups. Attach to the profile a list of EFCM missionaries working with the unreached group, together with their addresses. Suggest that the person/church write to the missionary and ask to be placed on their mailing list.

b. Promote the concept through the Beacon, Footprints and OUTLOOK.

c. Suggest three to five names, when an individual or a group asks for a list of unreached people groups. In addition, try to promote unreached people groups by region in the United States, whenever possible.

d. Highlight churches which have successfully launched and maintained an adopt-a-people emphasis.

5. Open an account for each specific unreached people group (even if we do not have missionaries there). If churches want to collect their loose change for an unreached people group, then we will be ready to receive their donations. We will also want to open a general unreached people group account, which churches can give to, and then we can use those monies as we determine future needs.

C. Subsequent Implementation Plans

  1. Prior to any additional names being added to the list of unreached peoples, a commitment is secured from the field that they are serious about reaching the unreached people group which they are proposing.
  2. Terry Riley would verify that the group is an unreached people group.
  3. Information would be secured that will provide us the data needed to promote the unreached people group.
  4. Names of unreached people groups can be added at any time, assuming the above three criteria have been met.
  5. Each time a new group is added, we will open an account to receive monies for our ministry to these people.
  6. An unreached people profile will be made on each new people group.

D. Long-Range Plans

To sustain the momentum needed for an unreached people emphasis, the following ideas might need to be implemented.

  1. Prepare a nice brochure that explains the unreached people concept.
  2. Produce an eight to ten minute video that explains the idea and highlights churches that have adopted unreached people groups.
  3. Prepare and pilot an information guide on how to effectively run an adopt-a-people program in the local church.
  4. Prepare quarterly bulletin inserts that highlight a different unreached people group. Send a photo-ready master to each church for it to use in its bulletin.
  5. Dialogue with the country leaders on what is an unreached people group and how this emphasis will benefit their ministries.
  6. Work in conjunction with a District Superintendent and see if we can plant a church among the same unreached people group here in the USA and overseas concurrently. After successfully launching this concurrent ministry, initiate this approach in various districts.
  7. At our denominational National Conference, launch a major church planting effort each year (?) among a particular unreached people group. Perhaps Women's Ministries would want to help fund such an undertaking. We could ask the denomination to be in concerted prayer for a year for each endeavor.

E. Cautions in Classification

  1. There are many people groups worthy of ministry, but technically they are not as lacking in opportunity as true unreached people groups. For example, it is estimated that the city of Colorado Springs is made up of 80% to 90% unchurched individuals. While there is certainly a need for more church planting efforts in this city, one would not want to call the Anglo inhabitants of Colorado Springs an unreached people group. Worthiness of ministry does not determine if a people group is hidden or not, but opportunity to hear.
  2. Once a missiological breakthrough has occurred and an unreached people group has responded to the gospel, then that people group will be reclassified as reached, even though there may be pockets of that people group elsewhere within which there are no believers at all. These pockets of individuals are worthy of church planting efforts deriving from other parts of the same people group, but technically belonging to the larger reached group.
  3. Often, sociological groups (e.g. middle-class apartment dwellers in Mexico City) or vocational groups (e.g. taxi drivers in Taipei) lack witness within those spheres, and yet are not classified as a hidden or unreached people group in the technical sense of the term. The reason for this is that many such categories of groups have ready access to the Gospel through relationships outside of their sociological or vocational group. This interaction is not so complex as to require specialized missionary endeavor. Remember the definition of a people group calls for the people group to be the largest group possible without encountering barriers of understanding and acceptance. On the other hand, it may be strategic to target a sociological or vocational group for ministry as an entry point into a larger truly unreached people. In any case, the group in and of itself is not a self-contained unit.
  4. There may often be a temptation to classify a people group as unreached simply because the group is ripe and worthy of a church planting ministry, or because to call them an unreached group would be an aid to garnering support for that ministry. This temptation must be resisted. Every people group which we classify as unreached must be unreached by the technical definition. We can not do otherwise and be people of integrity before God and our churches.
  5. Prior to March 1982, a people group with less than 20% of the individuals being Christians was considered an unreached people group. Since 1982, this 20% figure is no longer used. (See the 1982 definitions quoted above under "Key Definitions."

Summary

A. Why should our overseas missionary leadership promote the unreached peoples concept?

  1. It is not because this strategy is a more legitimate work in expanding the kingdom of God, however, it may be the most neglected.
  2. Not because it will result in more personnel, prayers and finances for particular ministries in the country, which it will, but because God wants to see people reached from every tribe, tongue, people and nation, and because groups with less opportunity inherently reflect a higher priority.

B. Duties of our field leaders

  1. Offer names of unreached people groups for adoption.
  2. Obtain additional information as needed.
  3. Aggressively target unreached people groups for ministry.
  4. Encourage the missionaries who work with an unreached people group to send six letters a year to the people/churches praying for their ministry.
  5. Be willing to experiment in partnership with EFCA churches back home in trying to reach that people group. For example, a church may want to send a fact-finding team to the people group to assist field leaders in research.

C. Duties of the home office

  1. Coordinate the list of unreached people groups which we are proposing for adoption.
  2. Promote the concept with our constituency.
  3. Actively recruit missionaries for the unreached people groups selected.

Conclusion

As I have contacted churches and mission agencies, I have found a great spirit of cooperation and willingness to help each other. If the Evangelical Free Church Mission can assist you or your organization in some way, please feel free to write to me. My address is 24124 Paseo Corona, Dana Point, CA 92629. If you would be interested in adopting one of our targeted unreached people groups, I especially want to hear from you. Our goal is to launch this emphasis in early 1993.

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