THE UNREACHED PEOPLE OF
THE 10/40 WINDOW
The
10/40 Window is the rectangular area of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia
approximately between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude. The 10/40
Window is often called "The Resistant Belt" and includes the majority
of the world's Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. The original 10/40 Window included only countries with at least 50% of their land
mass within 10 and 40 degrees north latitude. The revised 10/40 Window includes several additional countries, such as Indonesia,
that are close to 10 or 40 degrees north latitude and have high concentrations
of unreached peoples. See the original and revised country lists to the right.
An estimated 4.42 billion individuals residing in approximately 8,620 distinct people groups are in the revised 10/40 Window. The 10/40 Window is home
to some of the largest unreached people groups in the world such as the Shaikh,
Yadava,
Turks,
Moroccan Arabs, Pushtun,
Jat
and Burmese.
The
10/40 Window has several important considerations: first, the historical and
Biblical significance; second, the least evangelized countries; third, the
unreached people groups and cities; fourth, the dominance of three religious
blocs; fifth, the preponderance of the poor; sixth, the strongholds of Satan
within the 10/40 Window.
The
first and most fundamental reason why followers of Jesus Christ ought to focus
on the 10/40 Window is because of the Biblical and historical significance of
this area. The Bible begins with the account of Adam and Eve placed by God in
the heart of what is now the 10/40 Window. God's plan, expressed in Genesis
1:26, was that mankind should have dominion over the earth, subduing it fully.
However, Adam and Eve sinned against God and forfeited their right to rule.
Man's sinful behavior increased until God intervened and judged the earth with
a cataclysmic flood. Then came man's futile attempt to establish new dominion
in the building of the great Tower of Babel. That effort, which also occurred
in the heart of the 10/40 Window, was an open defiance against God. Once again,
God reached forth His hand in judgment. The result was the introduction of
different languages, the scattering of earth's people, and the formation of
nations.
The
10/40 Window: The Least Evangelized Countries
The
10/40 Window is home to the majority of the world's unevangelized countries.
The "unevangelized" are people who have a minimal knowledge of the
gospel, but have no valid opportunity to respond to it. While it constitutes
only one-third of earth's total land area, nearly two-thirds of the world's
people reside in the 10/40 Window. The original 10/40 Window included only countries with at least 50% of their land
mass within 10 and 40 degrees north latitude. The revised 10/40 Window includes several additional countries, such as Indonesia,
that are close to 10 or 40 degrees north latitude and have high concentrations
of unreached peoples. See the original and revised country lists to the right.
These lists include both sovereign states and non-sovereign dependencies.
The
10/40 Window: The Unreached Peoples and Cities
An
estimated 2.67 billion individuals live in approximately 5,711 unreached people groups are in the 10/40 Window. The 10/40 Window also contains the
largest unreached peoples over one million. In addition, the 10/40 Window contains the overwhelming
majority of the world's least evangelized megacities -- that is those with a
population of more than one million. The top 50 least evangelized megacities
are all in the 10/40 Window! That fact alone underscores the need for
prioritizing 10/40 Window Great Commission efforts.
The
10/40 Window: The Dominance of Three Religious Blocs
The
10/40 Window contains four of the world's dominant religious blocs. The
majority of the followers of Islam,
Hinduism,
and Buddhism
as well as the Non-Religious block live within the 10/40 Window. On the left side or
western part of the 10/40 Window, the Muslim world can be seen most prominently
in a wide band across the north of Africa into the Middle East. South Asia, in
the middle of the 10/40 Window, is the heart of Hinduism with its 330 million
gods. Buddhism influences the right side or eastern part of the 10/40 Window.
Buddhism is the primary religion in Southeast Asia and although officially an
atheistic country since the Marxist revolution of the late 1940s, China is
nevertheless deeply influenced by its Buddhist roots.
The
10/40 Window: The Preponderance of the Poor
The
10/40 Window is home to the majority of the world's poor. Of the poorest of the
poor, more than eight out of ten live in the 10/40 Window. On average, they
exist on less than a few hundred dollars per person per year. It has been said
that "the poor are the lost, and the lost are the poor" as the
majority of the unreached live in the poorest countries of the world. There is
a remarkable overlap between the poorest countries of the world and those that
are least evangelized.
The
10/40 Window: Spiritual Stronghold
The
10/40 Window includes numerous spiritual strongholds. The billions of people
who live in the 10/40 Window have suffered not only the ravages of poverty and
disease, they have also been kept from the transforming power of the Gospel.
They are poignant examples of the truth expressed in 2 Corinthians 4:4, which
states that "the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so
that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God."
The
10/40 Window: A Renewed Focus
The
focus of the Christian missions community 200 years ago was for the coastlands
of the world. A century later, the success of the coastlands effort motivated a
new generation to reach the interior regions of the continents. Within the past
several decades, the success of the inland thrust has led to a major focus on
people groups. Today, followers of Christ are concentrating their efforts on
the unreached peoples of the world, most of which are in the 10/40 Window.
Title : Missions: Now or Never
Description : THE UNREACHED PEOPLE OF THE 10/40 WINDOW The 10/40 Window is the rectangular area of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia approxi...