Where the Great Commission Remains Unfinished
Two thousand years ago, Jesus told us that he will build his Church: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…” (Matt. 16:18). After his resurrection, we are given the Great Commission, to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19). Every generation has seen advancements in Jesus building his church, which he works through to make disciples, but a vast portion of the world remains unreached with little or no access to the gospel.
While there is no doubt about work done and progress seen through missions, churches, and Bible translation to reach those who have not been presented the gospel, there are still millions who live in places where the name of Jesus remains scarcely known. This is the reality which we call the Global Gospel Gap.
The Global Gospel Gap refers to countries where the good news of salvation through Jesus remains least accessible. We are not simply talking about countries with a low number of Christians represented in their people groups; we are talking about access. Are there local Christians evangelising to their own people group? For many people groups and the countries they represent, the answer is still no.
To better understand where the need is greatest or which countries represent those with the least access to the gospel, we compiled a list of countries. A single, clear metric was used: the proportion of unreached people groups within each country. We define a people group as unreached when less than 2% of that people group are evangelising Christians actively sharing the gospel and making disciples.
We are grateful to the Joshua Project, who make their data available online. We took this data to identify the number of unreached people groups in a country and compared that to the total number of people groups for the same country. The countries were then ranked based on this percentage, starting with those where almost all people groups are considered unreached. This ranked list provided us with the list of countries with the least access to the gospel.
It’s also important to acknowledge that there are numerous ways to define ‘unreached’. God has called each of us as individuals and organisations to the Great Commission in our sphere of influence and beyond. For the calling and heart of each party, the term ‘unreached’ or ‘least access to the gospel’ is redefined in a meaningful way to empower each to do their work and muster support behind them.
While it is easy to get lost in the nuances of data and interpretation thereof, these results are sobering. Nearly every people group in countries like the Maldives, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan remains without access to the gospel. Many of these people groups are predominantly Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist. Some face restrictions––severe restrictions––on their rights for free religious expression.
But it’s not all bad news. The good news is…the Good News! E.M. Bounds, in his book, Purpose of Prayer, stated, “God shapes the world by prayer,” and, “The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil. Prayer, in one phase of its operation, is a disinfectant and a preventative. It purifies the air; it destroys the contagion of evil.” While the good news may still be on its way, we can shape these worlds through our prayers.
Prayer is mysterious and powerful. When we pray for the nations, we are joining God’s redemptive work. We are standing in the gap for those who cannot call on his name yet, nor know how to. Lifting these nations to the Lord, we sow seeds of hope, protection and truth in places where the soil seems dry, and workers are few.
While we look at these countries, we do not mean to imply that the gospel is not needed in other parts of the world. The gospel is needed everywhere. Instead, this list focuses our prayers on places where access to the gospel is almost non-existent. This list should stir our hearts with an urgency to pray for the millions of people who are represented by it––people who have not yet heard the good news of Jesus.
Revelation 7:9 gives us but a glimpse of the end goal, with “a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language worshipping before the Lamb.” This day is coming but not yet here. The Global Gospel Gap reminds us that the work is not done. It invites us to act and not despair.
May we be encouraged to remain steadfast, knowing that God hears, God moves, and––through prayer––he is shaping the world for his glory.
By Mitch Terblanche
This article was first published by AMT on the 19th August, 2025, and is republished with permission.
