President’s Perspective: A Unified Mission

THE CALL: 2023–2024    |    2.5 MINUTE READ
DR. DAN SCHAFER, PRESIDENT

Is God Still in This?

I’ll be honest with you. I’m filled with incredible hope for the future of WGM and the impact of its missionaries reaching the lost around the world. Oh, but there is no denying that these last few years have been trying times for the U.S. missions’ community, for WGM, and for me personally.

When Covid did not permit us to send short-term global workers to the field, those interested in serving as missionaries had to take a different path. Many of them took stateside ministry positions or followed other career paths that did not lead them back to the mission field. 

Without the normal influx of new missionaries that typically comes out of short- or mid-term experiences, the growth WGM had been experiencing in our missionary workforce pre-Covid was suddenly reversed. Even though we could clearly identify the cause of this downturn, it has been difficult to walk through it. 

A Gathering of God’s People

But then in June, I gathered with many of the missionaries you know and love. Over 100 of us gathered in Albania for our leadership conference where we focused on prayer, teaching on holiness, and strategic thinking around the changing landscape of missions. It was a multi-cultural, multi-generational team of missionaries and their children celebrating all God has done and preparing for what He’ll do next. In this space, looking over the Adriatic Sea, something the Spirit had been stirring in our hearts began to take shape. And out of this week of prayer, worship and strategic thinking has come a new initiative, a new focus for WGM.

A Unified Mission

As our missionaries returned to their countries of service, I sensed a unity around the future of WGM and what God had in store for us. And I wanted to tell you about it.

Our desire at WGM is two-fold. First, we want to reach those who do not have access to the Gospel. Second, we want to reach and engage the next generation.

Why these two groups? Roughly a third of the world—that’s 2.5 billion people—do not have access to the Gospel. And over 50 percent of the world is between the ages of 10 and 30 (the 10/30 Window). Many inside this age group fall within that 2.5 billion who don’t have access to the Gospel. This is a major portion of the population. And this is where WGM is focusing.

RUN320

Our new initiative—RUN320—will be launched this coming year. We are Reaching the Unreached Now. And we will do this by pleading out to God in prayer, asking Him “to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT).

Stories of God’s Faithfulness

As you read through this latest edition of The Call, you’ll see what I mean. You’ll read about a young missionary from Asbury University, Gabe Ernst, who is working with villages in Paraguay to help them have clean drinking water, but also to continue talking with them about the living water from Christ.

You’ll read about how a Buddhist woman in Japan found Christ through the faithful work of Brandon and Izumi Kuba, along with a team of students from Ohio Christian University. There’s the story of a family from Latin America using art to minister to Muslim refugees. And there’s the story of how missionaries are creatively finding ways to share the Gospel in people’s heart languages, sometimes for the first time ever.

Your Partnership

Stories like these don’t just happen, though. Our missionaries aren’t acting alone. They’re standing hand in hand with you, their faithful partners. Your prayers sustain them. Your financial support ensures the work can continue. And these stories aren’t just theirs—they’re yours, too.

Thank you for Reaching the Unreached Now!

You can continue reaching the unreached now by partnering financially with us today!