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A Model for Determining Mostthe Needy Unreached or Least-Reached Peoples Dan Scribner, Joshua Project Editor’s note: in this Mission Frontiers we return to a cover theme we last addressed almost three years ago: “Which peoples need priority attention?” To do so, we have invited Dan Scribner (director of Joshua Project) to share his perspective. For our following (January-February) issue, we have invited Todd Johnson (director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity) to tackle the same question. Note that we have more good material than print space available, so you’ll fi nd supplemental material on both the Mission Frontiers (missionfrontiers.org) and Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net) websites. (This related material explains defi nitions, the concept of “understanding and acceptance,” and Joshua Project itself.) As always, we welcome your comments and questions in response. wo thousand years ago the Lord gave us the com- 1) Progress of, or response to the Gospel (35% mand to make followers of Christ from among all weighting, lower Christian presence = higher Tthe ethnic peoples of the world. Signifi cant seg- score). See the Joshua Project Progress Scale ments of the world are still considered (“From On/Off to a Scale” on page 9) for unreached. In the light of such great details of this measure. This scale is primarily need, how do we prioritize need in based on % Evangelical and several church- fulfi lling the unfi nished task of the planting progress indicators. This criterion is Great Commission? Our purpose given the greatest weight because it represents here is to identify criteria to determine the most important factor in measuring the the most needy unreached peoples, to progress of the Gospel in a culture. apply these criteria to a database of people groups, 2) Population (25% weighting, larger people group and to generate an approximate list of prior- = higher score). The rationale of this weighting ity unreached peoples. Prioritizing is potentially is that the larger a people group, the more likely controversial. Need can be defi ned in many ways because an individual’s values and beliefs strongly influence his or ������������������������������������������������������������������������ her priorities. Below is one attempt to ������������ ������� ������� �������� recognize the unreached people ���������� ����������������������������� ������������� �� groups currently most in need �������� ���������������������������������� ��� �� of evangelization. There are ����������������� ��� �� certainly other valid models and ������� ����������������������������������� ������������� �� ����������� ������������������������������������ ��� �� other sets of data that would yield ���������� ������������������������������������� ����������� �� somewhat different results. The ����������������� �� data used in this model is avail- ������� ����������������� �� able at http://www.joshuaproject.net/ ����������� ��������������� �� download.php. ��������������� �� ������������� �� ��������� � Prioritization Model �������������� �� The current Joshua Project list shows �������� ������������������������� ��������� � �������������������������������������������� ���������� � approximately 6,900 unreached ������� ��������������������������������������������� ��������� � peoples. The model presented here ����������� ������������������������������� ��������� � attempts to assign a “score” or ����������������������������������������������� ���������� � priority ranking to each of �������������������������������������������� �������������� � ��������������������������� ���������� � these people groups. A scor- ������������������������������������ ����������� � ing system from 0 to 100 is ������������������������������������� ������������ � used, with 100 indicating the �������� ������������������������ ����������������� � least Christian presence and ����� ������������� � infl uence. Scoring points are ������� � ������� ���������� ���� � set in four general areas: ����������� ���������������� ���� � ���������������������������� ���� � 6 November-December 2004 Mission Frontiers USCWM•1605 E. Elizabeth St.•Pasadena, CA 91104•626-797-1111 www.missionfrontiers.org ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� summing the points from all the criteria. People ���������� ��������������������� ���������� ������������������� ������� �������� �������� �������� groups with the highest scores are suggested as ����������������� ������������������������� �������� ������� ������������������� ������������������������� �������������������������������������� the highest priority. ������� ������������������� ������������� ���������������� ����� � ���������� ���� ����� � ���������� ���� ������� � ��������� ���� Results ������� � ��������� ���� ������� � ������� ���� ������� � ������� ���� ����������� �� ���������� ���� On pages 10-13 is a listing of the 233 highest-scoring people ����������� �� ���������� ���� ���������� � ��������� ���� groups. These are all the groups that scored 83 and above using ���������� � ��������� ���� �������� �� ���������� ���� this prioritization method. The 83 scoring level is an arbitrary �������� �� ���������� ���� �������� � ������ ���� cutoff point for space reasons. Approximately 354 million individu- �������� � ������ ���� ������ � ��������� ���� ������ � ��������� ���� als live in these 233 priority unreached people groups. ������������ � ���������� ���� ������������ � ���������� ���� ���������� � ��������� ���� ���������� � ��������� ���� Trends and Observations ����� � ��������� ���� ����� � ��������� ���� ���������� � ���������� ���� Trends by country, region, people cluster and ���������� � ���������� ���� ��������� � ���������� ���� religion emerge when applying this model. Table ��������� � ���������� ���� ����� � ��������� ���� 2 outlines the rankings by country. It is interest- ����� � ��������� ���� ���� � ��������� ���� ���� � ��������� ���� ing to note that the highest-scoring countries ������� �� ��������� ���� ������� �� ��������� ���� are located in North Africa, but the countries ���� � ���������� ���� ���� � ���������� ���� with the largest numbers of people groups are ������� � ��������� ���� ������� � ��������� ���� ������� � ��������� ���� concentrated in the Middle East and China. ������� � ��������� ���� ����� �� ��������� ���� Also of note is that nearly half of the 60 top-ranking people ������������ � �� ������������������ ���� ���� ������� � ��������� ���� groups are located in the adjacent countries of Afghanistan, ����� � ��������� ���� Pakistan, Iran and Iraq. (A missionary serving in Pakistan ��������� � � ���������������� ���� ���� ����� ������ � ����������������� ���� ���� recently visited Joshua Project and claimed that “as Pakistan ����� ������� �� ��������������������� ���� ���� goes, so goes the Middle East and Muslim world.”) The 10/40 ��������������� � �� �������������������� ���� ���� Window is prominent in this prioritization. Of the 233 peoples ������� ����������� � ������������������ ���� ���� on this list, 216 live in countries within the 10/40 Window. ��������������������� � � ��������������� ���� ���� ����������� �� � ��������������� ���� ���� Patrick Johnstone has developed ����������� � �� ������������������ ���� ���� the concept of Affi nity Blocs and ����������� � � ��������������� ���� ���� People Clusters. (See the Defi ni- ������������ � � ��������������� ���� ���� tions article on the Joshua Project ����������� � � ������������������ ���� ���� website.) People Clusters are a ���������� � � ���������������� ���� ���� way of associating similar people ������ � ������� ���� ���� � ������� ���� groups. These larger clusters are �������� ������� � ����������� ������� ���� �������� ��� ����������� often the more commonly recog- nized people names in the missions community. Table 3 shows it will have an infl uence on the smaller groups the prioritization scores across People Clusters. around it. The population weighting in this Interesting trends emerge in Indonesia. While only seven In- model will bias the results toward larger groups. donesian groups are in the top 233, there are Population would be a good criterion to try numerous Indonesia groups scoring between varying in other iterations of this model. 75 and 82 that do not appear on this list for 3) Country location (25% weighting, greater space reasons. (Complete data is available at persecution level and less human development www.joshuaproject.net.) While Indonesia ranks and lower national percent evangelical levels = somewhat down the list in ranking as a country, higher score). This area attempts to measure the the People Cluster ranking in Table 3 would sug- political, persecution, economic, educational gest that there are strong pockets of unreached and spiritual environment of a people group, in various areas of Indonesia and other areas of based on their country of residence. signifi cantly-reached Indonesian peoples. Note the number of People Clusters in Sumatra. 4) Ministry tool availability (15% weighting, fewer tools = higher score). This area is weighted Table 4 lists the religion rankings. Islamic least because a ministry tool can be produced groups dominate the list, followed by Traditional but not necessarily available or in use. ethnic religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. Within the criteria areas are various measures, each Weighting Somewhat Determines Trends with value ranges that are assigned point scores. Table We would encourage other weightings 1 outlines