While there is much to celebrate about the church around the world, there are some discouraging trends in global Christianity.
By Aaron Earls
Christians can rejoice that the gospel is growing rapidly around the world, particularly in Africa and Asia. Missionaries are being sent out. Scriptures are being translated into more languages. Unfortunately, that’s not all that is happening today, according to the 2024 report from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Several trends should encourage Christians in a different sense. These five statistics should encourage us to pray for their reversal.
1. Islam is growing faster than Christianity
While we can rejoice that Christianity is growing and doing so faster than the overall population growth; however, Islam is growing faster than Christianity.
The percentage of Christians around the world is climbing at a 1.08% rate, while Muslims are growing at a 1.68% clip. By the middle of this year, there will be more than 2.029 billion adherents of Islam globally, behind only Christianity, which will be at 2.6 billion.
2. Christianity is in decline in the Western world
The Christian faith is experiencing rapid growth in many places around the world, but it is in decline in both Europe and North America. Currently, Christianity has a -0.39% growth rate in Europe and -0.16% rate in North America.
The Christian faith is experiencing rapid growth in many places around the world, but it is in decline in both Europe and North America, according to the @CSGC. Share on XOver the next 30 years, the Christian population in Europe will fall below 490 million, the level it reached in 1970. By 2050, almost twice as many Christians will live in Africa than Europe and North America combined.
3. A growing number of people are without gospel access
Over the previous century, the percentage of people without access to the gospel has been falling. In 1900, 54.3% of people didn’t have access, but that fell to 27.7% by 2022. Unfortunately, that decline has been reversed and a slow increase in the un-evangelized has begun.
By the midpoint of 2024, 27.8% of the world will not have access to the gospel. That’s projected to climb to 28.6% by 2050. Regardless of the percentages, the actual number of people without gospel access is growing. This year, that encompasses 2.258 billion people. By 2050, it will top 2.7 billion.
4. Ecclesiastical crime is on the rise
We can thank God for continued and increasing giving to Christian causes, but unfortunately, as more dollars are being given, more dollars are also being misused. Giving is growing at a 6.03% rate, but ecclesiastical crime is rising even faster at 6.41%.
In 2020, top custodians of Christians’ financial giving embezzled $67 billion, up from $19 billion in 2000 and just $300,000 in 1900. The totals involved are projected to reach almost $90 billion this year and close to $400 billion in 2050.
According to a Lifeway Research study, around 1 in 13 U.S. Protestant pastors say someone has embezzled funds from their church.
5. The rate of martyrdom is rebounding
In recent years, the rate of Christians being killed for their faith had fallen. In 1900, 344,000 believers were martyred per 10 years. By 1970, the number exploded to more than 3.7 million. Thankfully, it began to fall, dropping to 1.6 million in 2000 and 900,000 in 2020.
The countries where Christians are in the most danger are primarily in the areas where the faith is growing the most, Africa and Asia. Share on XUnfortunately, those martyrdom numbers have started to climb again, growing at a 0.28% rate. This year, the rate is expected to be 910,000 martyrs per 10 years. By 2050, it’s projected to reach 1 million again.
Currently, according to trends identified in Open Doors’ World Watch List 2024, “Sub-Saharan Africa—the epicenter of global Christianity—remains the epicenter of violence against followers of Jesus.” The countries where Christians are in the most danger are primarily in the areas where the faith is growing the most, Africa and Asia.
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