DAWN Fridayfax 2001 #2

Figures for the year 2001

World population: 6,118,958,932

According to the US Census Office, the world population on 31 December 2000 was just under 6.12 billon.

63% of the world population - 3.8 billion people - are under 34 years old

Yesterday's youth culture is becoming mainstream, with similar values, a common language (English) and a common communication medium (the Internet) around the globe.

11.1% of the world's population know Jesus Christ

According to missiologist Ralph Winter, only 1% of the world's population had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in 1430. Today, there are some 680 million Evangelical Christians - people who started to follow Christ after a personal conversion. The rate of increase is around 7% per year, compared to around 2.6% for Islam.

Growth areas

The strongest growth is currently in the following areas:

• house churches: in many nations, Christians are again meeting in the most normal places, there where they live or spend most time: apartments, houses, huts, in the street, in squares, bars, cafes and offices. In an age of increasing individualism in religion, anti-institutionalism, growing rejection of religious bigotry, confessionalism and denominationalism, organic and loosely-organized forms of Christianity are experiencing a boom.
• underground churches: underground churches, known only to insiders, are forming not only in China, Indonesia, Cuba and India, but also in the 'social underground' in the West.
• youth churches and post-modern churches: churches planted by youths or post-modernists in the growing youth culture. In the USA alone, according to youth church expert Andrew Jones, some 5,000 such churches have been planted in the past 4 years.
• cell churches: churches with a focus on discipling people in cell groups, and growth through cell multiplication.
• indigenous churches: churches and movements led by nationals without outside intervention or startup help from other churches.

120 million evangelicals in China

With a population of 1,262,556,787, of which between 4% and 12% are evangelical Christians, China has the world's highest population and the highest number of Christians. Due to persecution, which gives rise to highly secret organisational structures, and the in some cases explosive growth dynamics of the house church movement, experts' estimates range between 86 million and 150 million Christians in China.

99% can receive Christian radio

Christian radio stations reach 99% of the world's population.

8 out of 10 know who Jesus is

Missiologists such as Patrick Johnstone estimate that between 75% and 85% of the world's population have heard the gospel at least once.

Brazil

Bricklayers plant churches

The 'Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus' (Universal Kingdom of God Church), an independent church with an evangelical base, was founded on 9 July 1977. To date, it has planted over 11,250 churches, and with total attedance of between 4.5 million and 5 million, is Brazil's third largest church, after the Catholic Church and the Assemblies of God. According to Pastor Paul Junior of the 'Sal de Terra' fellowship in Uberlandia, the church has developed one of the first purely Brazilian theoligies, and reaches a large number of Brazilians with its easily-understood and relevant message. It owns the nation's third-largest television station, sets many examples in its campaigns for social justice and is a prime example of how indigenous churches can change the ecumenical landscape in only a few years - and reach millions for Jesus.
Source: IURD, Pastor Paul and others

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