In 2024, the Seventh-day Adventist Church commemorated the 150th anniversary of J. N. Andrews’ arrival in Switzerland, the first missionary to be sent outside North America to share the Adventist message. I use the word commemorated because there really was nothing to celebrate. If he came back to life today, I think he would be shocked and disappointed that we’re still here.

Following Andrews’ pioneering work came a golden era of Adventist mission. Missionaries crisscrossed the globe, taking the good news of Jesus wherever they went.

More than 100 years later, in the 1980s, the church refocused its mission. As leaders looked at the world map, they saw clearly that while the Adventist Church was strong in some areas, it was weak in others—and in many places, it didn’t exist at all. From that realization, Global Mission was born.

At the General Conference Session in Indianapolis in 1990, Global Mission was officially voted into existence by the world church. It was a groundbreaking moment. For the first time, we began thinking not only in terms of geography, but also in terms of people groups. We focused not only on reaching other Christians, but also people of other world religions. The emphasis was entirely on starting new groups of believers following Christ’s method of ministry. This has been the work of Global Mission for the past 35 years.

We praise God for what has happened since Global Mission began. Thousands of new churches have been planted. Many new people groups have been reached. Entire countries that once had no Adventist presence now have a growing witness.

I think of India, where two Global Mission pioneers were rejected in the city they entered. Undaunted, they started worship groups in two nearby towns. Later, they returned to the first city and, this time, were able to start a church. That church started a school and planted four new worship groups. Each of these new groups planted even more groups. In this way, the gospel work multiplied.

We see this multiplication happening all around the world. Since Global Mission began, nearly 128,000 new churches and companies have been established. These aren’t just statistics on a page; these are millions of real-life people who have found hope in Jesus Christ.

Of course, the mission still remains daunting. Consider the three Mission Refocus Windows that confront us: 

The 10/40 Window

The 10/40 Window is an area located between 10 degrees and 40 degrees north of the equator, stretching from North Africa through the Middle East and into Asia. It’s home to some 60 percent of the world’s population, most major religions, and the poorest people. Most here have never heard the name of Jesus.

The Urban Window

The Urban Window represents numerous cities with more than a million residents that still have no Adventist presence. This is where the majority of people now live. They remain a vast and urgent mission field.

The Post-Christian Window

The Post-Christian Window includes Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and, increasingly, North America—regions that can no longer be considered Christian and are steadily moving away from Christian values.

Yes, the mission is daunting. But it’s God’s mission. He’s invited us to participate with Him in that mission to start new groups of believers and make disciples for Him. Please pray for the millions living in the 10/40 Window, Urban Window, and Post-Christian Window, and help us reach the entire world for Jesus.