Worldwide Prayer Meeting

Dec 31, 2024 | by Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee

Prayer Focus -

Our International Army

Ten Encouraging Trends

in Global Christianity

(From Lifeway Research)

1. Both Africa and Latin America have more Christians than Europe. In 1900, twice as many Christians lived in Europe than in the rest of the world. Today, the Christian population in Europe has a flat growth rate, while Africa and Asia continue to experience dramatic growth. Currently, almost 640 million Christians live in Africa and 604 million in Asia, while 544 million call Europe home.

2. Evangelical Christianity is at home in the global South. According to the World Christian Encyclopedia: “The number of Evangelicals in the world has increased from 112 million in 1970 to 386 million in 2020. Globally, Evangelicalism is a predominantly non-White movement within Christianity, and is becoming increasingly more so, with 77% of all Evangelicals living in the Global South in 2020. This is up from only 7.8% in 1900.”

3. Christianity is growing at five times the rate as atheism. There are fewer atheists around the world now (147 million) than there were in 1970 (165 million). In recent decades, atheism has started to experience minor growth but only at a 0.22% rate. Christianity, on the other hand, is growing at 1.19% rate and is expected to continue to grow and add adherents globally.

4. By 2050, Charismatic Christians will outnumber the non-religious. The total of all non-religious individuals around the world currently sits at more than 878 million, while Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians number 644 million. In the next 30 years, however, that branch of Christianity will top 1 billion, while the non-religious will be closing in on 850 million.

5. Christianity will top 3 billion adherents before 2050. Currently, Christianity is the only religion with more than 2 billion followers. In the next five years, Islam will cross that threshold. Hinduism recently topped 1 billion. By 2050, Christianity will be the first to reach 3 billion. More than 3.4 billion people will be Christians then, according to the Gordon Conwell projections.

6. By 2050, almost 1.3 billion Christians will live in Africa. As Christianity continues to grow worldwide, the main driver of the growth remains Africa, increasing at a 2.86% rate. Before 2050, it will be the first continent that is home to more than 1 billion Christians.

7. The percentage of the world that remains unevangelized continues to fall. While there are more than twice as many unevangelized people alive today than 100 years ago, they represent a smaller number than ever before. In 1900, more than half the world’s population was unevangelized (54.3%). In 2020, that percentage has decreased to 28.3%.

8. The percentage of non-Christians who know a Christian is climbing. Part of the reason for the decline in the unevangelized can be attributed to the growth in non-Christians knowing a Christian. While few non-Christians know a Christian today (18.2%) that percentage has increased dramatically since 1900 when only 5.3% knew a follower of Jesus.

9. Over 100 million Bibles per year will be printed by 2025. In addition to all the digital ways people can access Scripture, the number of Bibles printed each year continues to climb. Today, approximately 95 million Bibles are printed each year. By 2025, that will have climbed to 110 million.

10. The number of Christian martyrs is falling after spiking in the late 1900s. While persecution remains a significant issue for Christians globally, the number of martyrs has fallen since 1970, according to Gordon Conwell. Then, 3.7 million Christians were killed every 10 years. Today, that number is closer to 900,000 every decade.

Facts, Stats and Leadership

of The Salvation Army

• Total population with which to fish and disciple: 8.2 billion
• 26,374 officers, 749 cadets, 994 envoys, 353 auxiliary-captains and 100,950 employees
• 10,297 retired officers
• 14,893 corps, outposts and societies
• 1,249,596 senior soldiers
• 170,629 adherents
• 397,982 junior soldiers

Leadership

General Lyndon Buckingham – International Leader of The Salvation Army

Commissioner Edward Hill – Chief of the Staff

Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham – World President of Women’s Ministries

Commissioner Shelley Hill – World Secretary of Women’s Ministries

Prayer Requests of

The Salvation Army International

This week, we invite you to spend some time in prayer for The Salvation Army in your context and around the world. Ask the Lord to guide you as you pray. You may want to use The Salvation Army International website to learn more about expressions of ministry in different areas of the world, to read news stories or discover more about our global focus. 

• Disciples of Jesus. We pray that all Salvationists will have renewed desire to pursue holy living, to prioritise their relationship with Jesus, to know Him, to become more like Him and to do the things He did.
   
• People, mission and legacy. We pray that The Salvation Army will be a movement of empowered people, equipped to share the love of Christ and the transforming power of God in local communities around the world. We pray for wisdom and discernment, for fresh energy and creativity, as we intentionally focus on our people, our mission and our legacy in 2025.
   
• 160 years of The Salvation Army. 2025 marks 160 years since Founders William and Catherine Booth commenced the work of The Salvation Army. As we recognise this milestone for our movement, we celebrate what God has done and continues to do in and through The Salvation Army.
   

We thank God for everyone around the world who participates in the mission God has given The Salvation Army - to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in His name without discrimination. As we step into a new year, may we all continue to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and respond with courage. May we continue to demonstrate God’s love to others, wherever we find ourselves, and through our words and actions, may others come to know Jesus too.

USA Southern Territory

Prayer Requests

• The family of Captain Ken Bagley, who was recently Promoted to Glory
• Lt. Colonel Janice Riefer, Personnel Secretary
• Youth
• Uche Izuogu, Operations Technical Analyst, CRD Interchange
• Sue-Ann Jeffrey, Executive Administrative Assistant, Program
• Caitlin Ray, Territorial Pathway of Hope Data Analyst, Social Services
• Major Carey Richmond, Director of Personnel/Health & Wellness, Evangeline Booth College
• Cadet Sarah Taylor
• Major Lorraine Crawford, Divisional Candidates’ Secretary, Potomac Division
• Major David Erickson, Secretary for Business, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar & Thailand Territory
• Major Alma Cain, Associate Director of Moulton Memorial Student Center at Asbury University, NHQ
• Majors Anthony & Elizabeth Juliana, officers, soldiers, employees, and volunteers of the Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi Division
• Sunday school

Something to Consider

“I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:19)

William Booth

When this page reaches you, you will be on the threshold of New Year. New things interest us. They have done so from our cradle; they will do so to the end chapter of life. What a pleasure we derived in childhood from a new toy; a new game, or a new sweetmeat! And since then have we not found pleasure in a new house, a new friend, a new occupation, or a new country? This is according to a law of nature. Change suits us and gratifies us. And as it has charmed us in this life so there can be little doubt that it will continue to do so through the rolling ages of the glorious future. New experiences and events will constitute some of the unfailing sources of pleasure there. We shall doubtless be continually seeing new beings, singing new songs, visiting new worlds, engaging in new adventures, experiencing new raptures, and having new revelations, not only of the character, wisdom, and works of God, but of His affection for us. Oh, what a charming, what a glorious place will the New Jerusalem be! My comrades, we must be ready for the new heavens and new earth – new, indeed, to you and me because therein will dwell righteousness…

            A new thing is wanted and prized because it produces a sensation of pleasure – that is, supposing it is a pleasing thing; and another reason why a new thing is valued is because it is supposed to bring with it some new conditions of happiness, some new opportunities for obtaining the things on which the heart is set. A vain woman finds pleasure in thinking of a new dress because she thinks it will bring her admiration. A proud man finds pleasure in getting into a big house because he thinks his neighbors will think more highly of him…

            I hope we Salvationists are looking forward to, and praying for, the New Year, because it promises to afford us new opportunities of getting more of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our own souls and spreading salvation more effectively.

- From Through the Year with William Booth

Edited by Stephen J. Poxon

Prayer

Father, I praise You because You are ever willing to bless. Open my eyes to the newness of Your works, my heart to a new beat, and my soul to a new and living touch. Send a new touch of power, Lord. Amen.