Journal of Applied Missiology
Volume 05, Number 2, Oct. 1994
Compiled by
the ACU Missions Department
CHURCHES OF CHRIST OUTSIDE THE U.S. AND CANADA--APRIL 1994
NUMBER OF COUNTRIES ESTIMATED NUMBER OF
CONTINENTS/ (COUNTRIES WITH NUMBER OF MISSIONARIES
REGIONS CHURCHES OF CHRIST) CHURCHES MEMBERS SERVING*
Africa** 51 (28) 7,406 428,908 227 (Sub-Saharan) Asia** 27 (19) 1,628 121,717 144 Europe** 57 (25) 435 12,970 294 Caribbean Islands** 24 (21) 469 23,062 51 Central America 8 (7) 379 15,260 36 Mexico 1 (1) 400 25,000 25 South America 15 (12) 273 11,690 162 Middle East/ North Africa 25 (4) 14 263 4 Oceania/Australia/ New Zealand 30 (14) 270 7,910 61
TOTALS** 238 (131) 11,274 646,780 1,004 U.S.A 1 (1) 13,230 1,258,814 CANADA 1 (1) 148 7,200 St. Pierre & 2 (0) 0 0 Miquelon/Greenland
GRAND TOTALS** 242 (133) 24,652 1,912,794 1,004
*The figures in this column represent the total number of U.S. missionaries working in each of the countries or regions mentioned. In tabulating these figures, married couples were counted as two missionaries while singles were counted as one. This procedure is consistent with most contemporary missions reporting practices.
Sources of information: Published church growth surveys of countries and regions included in the tabulations; interviews with past and present missionaries; published newsletters and church bulletins; Churches of Christ Around the World by Dr. Mac Lynn; and missions files at Abilene Christian University. When these sources were not available or sufficient, estimations were made by those with a knowledge of the area.
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
STATUS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST -- APRIL, 1994
POPULATION
COUNTRY IN MILLIONS CHURCHES MEMBERS MISSIONARIES
Benin 5.6 3 52 4 Botswana 1.5 7 154 10 Burkina Fasa 10.4 2 15 0 Cameroon 12.9 127 3,150 2 Chad 6.4 3 25 0 Ethiopia 52.6 437 45,990 0 Gambia 1.0 1 25 0 Ghana 17.5 483 31,500 9 Guinea 7.8 0 5 2 Ivory Coast 15.3 26 536 3 Kenya 30.8 597 17,962 81 Lesotho 2.0 6 144 4 Liberia 3.0 43 3,150 0 Malawi 10.4 2,300 80,000 12 Mauritius 1.2 1 25 0 Mozambique 17.9 (?) 100 (?) 3,000 0 Namibia 2.2 2 65 2 Nigeria 100.1 2,010 173,522 14 South Africa 39.2 (?) 331 23,110 19 Senegal 8.4 1 20 0 Sierra Leone 4.7 31 1,523 0 Swaziland .9 51 2,915 4 Tanzania 32.9 39 1,650 19 Togo 4.0 2 60 0 Uganda 22.5 25 880 14 Zaire 42.3 10 500 0 Zambia 10.2 558 31,580 14 Zimbabwe 11.4 210 7,350 14
TOTAL** 475.1 7,406 428,908 227
ASIA
STATUS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST -- APRIL, 1994 [1]
POPULATION
COUNTRY IN MILLIONS CHURCHES MEMBERS MISSIONARIES
Bangladesh 132.2 1 20 2 China 1,214.2 1 6 3 Hong Kong 6.2 6 405 2 India 947.3 1,000 100,000 8 high estimate (4,000) (250,000)[3] Indonesia 195.6 42 800 6 Japan 126.3 60 900 28 Korea (South) 44.9 75 5,000 8 Laos 4.5 8 150 0 Macao .5 1 10 4 Malaysia 19.2 10 500 0 Myanmar (Burma) 46.3 1 15 0 Nepal 21.5 10 180 0 Pakistan 141.6 25 500 0 Philippines 69.9 300 10,000 26 Singapore 2.8 17 1,106 7 Sri Lanka 18.3 15 200 3 Taiwan 21.5 10 300 12 Thailand 59.6 45 1,600 35 Vietnam[4] 75.0 1 25 0
TOTALS** 3,147.4 1,628 121,717 144
(4,628) (271,717)
EUROPE
STATUS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST -- APRIL, 1994
POPULATION
COUNTRY IN MILLIONS CHURCHES MEMBERS MISSIONARIES
WESTERN EUROPE Austria 7.5 6 200 12 Belgium 10.0 17 325 10 Denmark 5.2 1 10 0 Finland 5.1 1 40 2 France 57.2 14 350 18 Germany 80.0 61 1,035 24 Greece 10.1 10 165 3 Ireland 3.9 4 70 2 Italy 57.6 59 1,265 14 Malta 0.4 1 10 0 Netherlands 15.3 7 110 8 Portugal 10.4 8 190 5 Spain 40.1 33 3,000 0 Sweden 8.3 2 118 4 Switzerland 6.6 8 200 8 United Kingdom 57.3 103 3,927 49 England 62 2,600 28 N. Ireland 7 181 2 Scotland 32 1,100 19 Wales 2 46 0
TOTALS[5]** 375.0 335 11,015 159
EASTERN EUROPE Albania 3.5 2 50 8 Bulgaria 9.0 4 200 6 Czech Rep. 15.9 2 ? 19 Slovakia 5.3 8 10[6] 19 Hungary 10.3 4 20 14 Poland 39.4 5 175 4 Romania 23.8 6 400 27 Russia 150.9 60 800 19 Ukraine 52.5 5 200 12 Yogoslavia (Former) 10.3 4 100 7
E. E. Subtotals** 320.9 100 1,955 135
TOTAL FOR EUROPE** 695.9 435 12,970 294
CARIBBEAN
STATUS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST -- APRIL, 1994
POPULATION
COUNTRY IN MILLIONS CHURCHES MEMBERS MISSIONARIES
Anguila 0.008 1 20 0 Antigua and Barbuda 0.1 4 205 4 Bahamas 0.3 7 540 10 Barbados 0.3 3 110 0 Bermuda 0.1 2 197 2 Cayman Islands 0.03 1 100 0 Cuba 10.8 15 600 0 Dominica 0.1 12 350 0 Dominican Rep. 7.9 60 2,350 0 Grenada 0.1 9 295 1 Guadeloupe 0.3 1 35 0 Haiti 7.1 200 10,000 3 Jamaica 2.7 54 2,350 9 Netherlands Antilles .2 2 40 6 Puerto Rico 4.0 35 2,800 4 St. Kitts-Nevis .04 4 125 2 St. Lucia 0.2 2 130 1 St. Vincent 0.1 18 450 2 Trinidad & Tobago 1.5 34 2,200 3 Virgin Is. (Br.) 0.013 1 15 0 Virgin Is. (U.S.) 0.109 4 150 4
TOTALS** 36.000 469 23,062 51
LATIN AMERICA
STATUS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST -- APRIL, 1994
POPULATION
COUNTRY IN MILLIONS CHURCHES MEMBERS MISSIONARIES
Mexico 87.7 400 25,000 25
CENTRAL AMERICA Belize .2 7 260 5 Costa Rica 3.4 15 1,000 4 El Salvador 5.9 120 2,500 0 Guatemala 10.6 140 5,000 20 Honduras 6.0 40 1,500 5 Nicaragua 4.5 19 2,000 0 Panama 2.7 38 3,000 2
C. A. Subtotals 33.3 379 15,260 36
SOUTH AMERICA Argentina 34.3 20 520 23 Bolivia 8.4 8 340 0 Brazil 165.1 104 4,300 81 Chile 14.2 12 295 13 Colombia 34.9 26 950 0 Ecuador 12.3 15 2,000 10 Guyana .8 36 850 6 Paraguay 4.9 2 35 0 Peru 25.1 12 600 0 Suriname .4 5 100 2 Uruguay 3.2 6 200 12 Venezuela 22.2 27 1,500 15
S. A. Subtotals 325.8 273 11,690 162
LATIN AMERICA** 446.8 1,052 51,950 223
MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA
STATUS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST -- APRIL, 1994
POPULATION
COUNTRY IN MILLIONS CHURCHES MEMBERS MISSIONARIES
Algeria 29.3 0 0 0* Egypt 60.5 3 53 0 Israel 7.2 8 c. 160 4 Jordan 3.8 2 c. 45 0 Lebanon 3.3 1 5 0
TOTALS 104.1 14 c. 263 4
* There is at least one vocational missionary in Algeria. ** Population total is for countries entered. Source: 1992 World Population Data Sheet of the Population Reference Bureau, Inc.
OCEANIA
STATUS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST -- APRIL, 1994
POPULATION
COUNTRY IN MILLIONS CHURCHES MEMBERS MISSIONARIES
American Samoa 2 60 3 Australia 17.8 81 3,000 25 Cook Islands 1 8 2 Fiji 0.8 10 150 0 Guam 0.1 1 75 4 Keribati 0.1 7 100 0 Marshall Islands 0.1 1 7 2 Micronesia 0.1 1 2 New Zealand 3.4 21 1,100 13 Papua, New Guinea 3.9 137 3,300 10 Solomon Islands 0.4 1 0 Tonga 0.1 3 60 0 Vanuatu 0.2 1 Western Samos 0.2 3 50 0
TOTALS 27.2 270 7,910 61
[1] Applies to missionary count only. Church and member information was compiled in 1990.
[2] Population based on projected figures as recorded in Operation World, 5th Edition.
[3] Estimates for India vary widely. Numbers in large type reflect conservative estimates.
[4] There have been many baptisms in Vietnam in the past, but the status of the church today is unknown.
[5] Population totals are for entered countries only. Source: World Population Data Sheet of the Population Reference Bureau, Inc. 1992.
[6] There have been a few conversions in Czechoslavakia in recent months. There are many active Bible studies currently in progress.
**Figures corrected from printed edition!!