Today the world population is over 6.4 billion. At the present rate, every second 4.11 children (in one year over 129,880,000) are born and every second 1.7 people die (in one year over 56,590,000). This means that every year the population growth is around 73,480,000 people. This means that only in this Week of Prayer, in these 10 days, there is a population growth of around 2,013,000 persons and if we wait 3 more days, there will be enough people to fill another Rome.

The world is divided into 193 independent nations plus about 70 dependent areas and other entities. But there are also many thousands of ethnic groups that speak more than 6,800 languages. Among these languages there are more than 200 with a million or more speakers, and 27 of them have about 50,000,000 speakers or more.

In the world there are thousands of religions and more than 67% of the world population is non-Christian. This means that more than 4.3 billion people are non-Christians.

But more than that, the differences of education, professions, economic, social status, age, gender, and the like, divide the world population in many thousands of different groups.

All this data shows the great challenge we face when we accept the Lord’s mandate to preach “to every creature.” Today this means to preach to 6.4 billion of people. And we need to reflect on the fact that every day about 155,000 people die and many, many thousands never had the privilege to hear the present truth. On the other hand, every day around 355,000 people are born and need to hear the everlasting gospel.

When the Reform Movement was born, the world population was almost 2 billion people, and the work to be done was great. Today we face a far greater challenge and tomorrow it will be still greater. The time of probation is short. Every day that passes is one day less to work.

The end has not yet arrived, Jesus our merciful Saviour has not yet come, because His work has not yet been fulfilled. What can we do to hasten “the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:12), to meet the “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16)? We have to carry out the Lord’s mandate to reach the unreached! ... but who are the unreached?

There are still about 120 countries where our Movement does not have a single member. Iceland and Albania in Europe, Morocco and Gabon in Africa, Iraq and Taiwan in Asia, Cuba and Grenada in North America, Palau and Micronesia in the Pacific, are just a few examples. In other nations and territories the Reform Movement is present with very few members and in some cases they are not local people but immigrants. This means that the missionary work still needs to be developed.

There are still thousands of ethnic groups and peoples to whom the everlasting gospel has to be preached, like the Inuit and Blackfeet in North America, Guajiro and Yanomami in South America, Sami and Komi in Europe, Tuareg and Nuba in Africa, Hazara and Hani in Asia, Chamorro and Yapese in the Pacific, and so forth.

We are regularly producing publications in almost 80-90 languages of the 200 languages spoken by 1 million or more persons. That is not yet half! Plus there are the minor languages yet to be covered.

Billions of people are waiting to hear the present truth, and every day many thousands die without having this privilege. Among them we have men and women, children, youth, elderly, illiterate (about 780 million), students, teachers, professors, intellectuals, scientists, artists (musicians, poets, writers, actors, and so forth), athletes, farmers, artisans, workers, businessmen, managers, lawyers, judges, politicians, medical doctors, soldiers, immigrants, tourists, foreigners, rich, poor, smokers, HIV patients, drug addicts, prostitutes, delinquents, criminals and prisoners, the unemployed, the retired, and sick. There are Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Anglicans, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, irreligious or atheists, and so forth. And where can we find them? Everywhere. Maybe one of them is just your neighbor.

But how is it possible for a small church, like the Reform Movement, to bring the glad tidings and to be a witness, “unto the uttermost part of the earth,” reaching the unreached? Let us see some examples from the Scriptures.

In the Bible we find many examples of how believers reached the unreached and how God prepared the way. Let us see some of them to get an idea of how it is possible for a few God-fearing people to reach different social groups, many thousands of people, shedding the light of the living God, of His truth and love.

A wealthy man, Abraham, who became a nomadic migrant, preached to the Canaanite nations and his altars were silent witnesses for Jehovah. Jesus’ disciples and Paul, the former persecutor, spread the glad tidings with power and “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Their words and writings reached Jews, Romans, Galatians, Macedonians, Greeks, and many other people and ethnic groups. Their feet took them through many far-away countries. Their great ambition was to preach the gospel where Christ had not been named (Romans 15:20). Soon the Roman Empire was filled with believers, even within “Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:22).

Joseph, a young prisoner and slave, Daniel, a deported noble, Esther, the Jewish queen of the Persian Empire, Nehemiah, a trusted officer - these all made known to kings of world powers the only living God. Some of these kings made decrees to “praise and extol and honour the King of heaven” sent to “all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth” (Daniel 4:37, 1). The result was that “many of the people of the land became Jews” (Esther 8:17).

A little captive maid showed the way where the mighty captain of Syria could find health and the Creator. Various Roman soldiers such as the Capernaum centurion, the Jewish officers sent to arrest Jesus in the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Cornelius in Acts chapter 10, and the keeper of the Philippian dungeon were all deeply influenced by the words of life heard from Jesus, Peter, and Paul. Remember the deputy Sergius Paulus on the island of Cyprus, and the man of great authority under Candace, queen from Ethiopia. Remember also Zacchaeus, the rich chief among the publicans. These gladly opened their heart and believed that “Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37).

In Jesus’ ministry and in the missionary work of the disciples, the believers met Jewish and pagan priests, Levites, and other religious leaders. On different occasions they had to witness for the truth before the Sanhedrin of the Jewish nation, as Stephen did. Luke reports that “a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).

What impressed the wise men from the East to come to worship the newborn King and to bring Him their precious gifts? The Holy Scriptures opened their eyes to an ancient prophecy! Behold also the apostle of the Gentiles on Mars Hill presenting the Lord of heaven and earth, the risen Saviour, to the pagan poets, artists, philosophers, scholars and sages of Athens. But there also were professionals and artisans like Luke, the beloved physician, Zena the lawyer, Lydia the seller of purple, and the tentmakers Priscilla and Aquila that were reached with the message of mercy. Notice afterwards how the artisans Priscilla and Aquila were expounding more perfectly the way of God to the learned and eloquent Apollo. Paul mentions the missionary work of these people: “My helpers in Christ Jesus . . . unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles” (Romans 16:3, 4).

To hide himself from the evil intentions of Ahab, the apostate king, Elijah was sent to a pagan woman in Zarephath, a woman who recognized that he was a man of God. Many years before, Ruth, a young pagan maiden from Moab, through Naomi, a refugee from Israel, became a believer and was blessed with the privilege of becoming an ancestor of Christ. Many women accepted the gospel, and we read that in Thessalonica not a few of the chief women believed (Acts 17:4). Not only virtuous women were called to join the kingdom of heaven but also sinful women (prostitutes, adulteresses, and so forth). Jesus told the Jewish leaders “Verily I say unto you, That ... the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31), because “the harlots believed” (verse 32) in the preaching of John the Baptist. In His ministry, women of this outcast social group were responding to the word of mercy. See the woman of Samaria, who herself became a missionary to the people of her city, and Mary Magdalene, the sinner, who was the first one to see the resurrected Jesus, bringing glad tidings to the discouraged disciples. There was also Rahab, the harlot of Jericho, who for her act of kindness and faith, is remembered in the book of Hebrews and was saved by the spies. She also had the privilege to be an ancestor of Christ.

When the disciples did not allow mothers to bring their children to Jesus, the Lord admonished them, “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16). And the gospel is also for the youth. One who accepted it was Timothy, to whom it was written “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12).

James wrote “Pure religion ... is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27) and Isaiah teaches, “Deal thy bread to the hungry ... bring the poor ... to thy house ... when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him” (Isaiah 58:7). One believer from the city of Joppa was a great helper and friend of the poor. This was Tabitha, who was raised from the dead. The healing of the sick was an important part of Jesus’ ministry. In the Bible we may find many practical examples of medical ministry.

In the New Testament letters we find various passages regarding slaves or servants which show that the gospel was preached also to them. One of them, the letter to Philemon, was written in behalf of a slave that was converted by the ministry of Paul. The gospel is also for criminals. While Jesus was dying to save us, He showed mercy to the criminal just converted on the cross.

The above examples should motivate us to work, to spread the glad tidings everywhere. But what do we need to be able to carry out this work, besides having a deep love for sinners? If we look at our situation, we see that the list of our needs is very long. Let us take into consideration at least the following:

To be witnesses for Christ unto the uttermost part of the earth, it is essential to receive the power that we can receive only through the Holy Spirit. His work is to “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8), to lead, to open the way for the gospel, to give gifts, and to help the believers to be fruitful. It is necessary to listen to His voice and allow Him to work through us.

Every believer is born to be a missionary, shedding the light of the Gospel with his or her life and behavior and then with words, showing that he or she is a new creature in Jesus. He or she will regard every human being as a child of God, a sinner in need of the saving power of Jesus notwithstanding the difference of nationalities, languages, cultures, and so forth. Of course, this work is to be undertaken by Bible workers, elders, and ministers. But it is not only for them. All young people, students, women, professionals, and artisans in particular have a wide missionary field of work, because they can do a special work that no full-time missionaries can do. To preach wherever the glad tidings have never been preached and enter new territories must be the great ambition of us all. To do this, it is sometimes necessary to learn languages, adapt oneself to new environments, perhaps suffer privations, and in many cases even be ready to lose one’s life for Jesus. Only by accepting these challenges can believers really be missionaries that will win new souls. And by their example they will inspire others to dedicate themselves fully to the ministry.

Education, instruction, and training for the missionary work are all fundamental. Every group or church should be an educational center where it is possible to learn how to preach “Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Specific missionary training programs must be devised not only for the preparation of full time missionaries, but also for young people, and students.

Taking into consideration that we are living in a fast changing world, we cannot rely only on past methods. For this reason new and different methods are to be devised through wisdom sought from above. Such methods are essential in seeking to reach different groups of people. Besides methods, it is necessary to devise and implement specific projects and plans. Brethren and sisters especially endowed with a capacity to plan and possessing a clear vision of the present reality and necessity, have to be involved in this work.

Some specific ministries to be developed are: welfare ministry, medical ministry, youth ministry, and media/publishing ministry.

If you consider that about 3 billion people in the world live on less than two dollars a day, you may see the need of developing the welfare ministry. People must be taught how to survive by working with their heads and hands. This work includes also educational and women’s ministry. But who will finance these welfare projects? The wealthy of the souls whom we must approach with Christian kindness.

To reach the different unreached groups it is necessary to break down many prejudices and open many doors. Medical ministry is the right hand that can do this. Now, a body without the right hand can do very little. For this reason the medical ministry need to be developed, involving especially young men and women.

The church’s young people are a precious heritage. Among them there are many talented and gifted people that need to be discovered and properly involved in the work. The median age of the world is 27.6 years - that means that half of the world population is younger than this age. They are the large field of the youth ministry.

But to reach the unreached it is necessary also to have tools: tracts, books, papers, charts, videos, cd’s, dvd’s, radio and tv programs, websites, and so forth. These need to be produced in different languages, designed to reach various groups. This is the work that the media/publishing ministry needs to do, engaging capable young men and women.

The Lord tell us: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith ... if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). Every believer has to return faithfully to the Lord his or her tithe and offerings. We are to be faithful administrators of the material blessings received, and sharing them with those in need. Thus, good projects will not need be abandoned for lack of financial resources.

By faithfully carrying out the Lord’s mandate in reaching the unreached we are hastening the coming of the day of God. To every one of us Jesus says: “Go ... preach the gospel” ... “be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed” ... “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Mark 16:15, Joshua 1:9, Matthew 28:20). Be ready to do your part to reach the unreached if you long to see “a great multitude ... of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues ... before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” (Revelation 7:9).