“I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know” – Job 29:16

William Carey, “The Father of Modern Missions,” was fond of studying maps and the lives of great missionaries such as the Apostle Paul and David Brainerd. In fact, Carey was at times “moved to tears” as he looked at his atlas and considered the vast needs of faraway lands.  Carey’s passion for the lost eventually led him to publish a pamphlet in 1792 that would revolutionize the Christian church and propel missionary efforts worldwide. The tract was titled “An Enquiry into the Obligation of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens.”

In his tract, Carey broke down the gospel commission, shared statistics about the needs of people abroad, and showed that Christians have a responsibility to organize themselves to reach the world with the gospel. Going to India to serve as a missionary for the rest of his life, Carey would lead by example. Although the church of Carey’s day felt no sense of duty to reach beyond its borders, Carey was willing to challenge the prevailing attitudes and conduct the careful research necessary to gain a more complete understanding of God’s mission and the needs of those in darkness. He made an inquiry, “a systematic investigation into a topic, problem, or question.”

In 2018, George Barna also made an inquiry and discovered that 51 percent of Christians had not heard of the Great Commission.  This highlights the prevailing ignorance that many have regarding matters relating to the mission of the church. I recall 20 years ago when I first heard that there were still over three billion people considered unreached by the gospel. That fact alone led me to inquire whether God was calling me to dedicate several years of my life to serving as an overseas missionary in the 10/40 window. After five years of wrestling, my wife and I surrendered to the Holy Spirit’s pleading and took the step of faith that led to a decade of service in Thailand.

As with me in the past, perhaps you are unaware of the tremendous needs in the unreached world. Maybe you have never educated yourself about the 10/40 window or the people practicing non-Christian religions. If so, I invite you, in this new year, to make your own inquiry into the world’s needs and visit websites like www.joshuaproject.net or purchase a book like Operation World by Jason Mandryk to learn more about unreached people. As your heart is touched, perhaps you, like William Carey, will be “moved to tears,” and led to inquire whether God is calling you to go where Christ is not known. We would love to help you get started. Contact us today at 800-937-4236 or recruiter@afmonline.org.

• Twitter