As a reader of Adventist Frontiers, perhaps you have wondered how AFM decides where to start new projects. Let us begin with AFM’s mission statement, which is to “establish indigenous Seventh-day Adventist church-planting movements among unreached people groups.”

If you were to visit the website of the Joshua Project (an independent, nonprofit evangelical organization that tracks the progress of the gospel among the world’s different people groups), you would find that there are 10,423 people groups worldwide, of which 4,490 are considered unreached.1 You would also read their definition of an unreached people group: “a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance.”2 Additionally, you would notice that less than two percent of the population of an unreached people group is Evangelical Christian.

These unreached people groups can be found in most countries of the world; however, AFM prioritizes projects in the 10/40 window, the area between 10 and 40 degrees latitude north of the equator, and covers Northern Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Not only do over five billion people live here, but 3.45 billion are considered unreached!3 The unreached people groups in this window do not have nearly the same opportunity to hear the gospel as those living in countries like the U.S., which have a strong Christian presence and multiple Christian resources.

Suppose you are interested in seeing AFM start a new project. How would that process begin? You would submit a New Project Proposal to AFM, and our New Projects Committee would then review the proposed project to see if it aligns with the following criteria:

Is the proposed project located within the 10/40 window? (People groups outside the 10/40 window are considered if they meet other “unreached” criteria.)
Is there limited or no access to the gospel among this people group?

Is access to the gospel restricted due to social, political or geographic conditions?

Is the proposed people group less than two percent Evangelical Christian, or does the indigenous church lack the capacity to evangelize their own people effectively?
Is there a limited Seventh-day Adventist presence among the people group?

If there is a stronger Christian presence, are there cultural, linguistic or other barriers that would impede the spread of the gospel across boundaries? Sometimes, because of high racial or tribal tensions, an outsider is more effective at spreading the gospel than a believer from a neighboring ethic group.

We also evaluate the partnership potential with the local SDA church governing body. We strive to work in cooperation with the worldwide Adventist church, and our goal is always to incorporate the churches we plant into the local structure. In fact, before AFM even enters a new area, we sign a memorandum of understanding with the governing SDA body in that region. Above all, when evaluating new projects, we pray and rely on God for wisdom and discernment to know His will. We understand that the work we do is only possible by His grace and blessing. If you have ideas for new projects that fit within these guidelines, please reach out to us today.

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References
1There are various ways to count people groups. For example, you may have one unreached people group spread across several countries. Some lists count the appearance of this group as a separate, unreached people group in each of these countries. Other lists only count that group once, even if they are in several countries. The numbers quoted in this article count each people group only once, regardless of how many countries they reside in (https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/counts). 2https://joshuaproject.net/help/definitions
3 https://joshuaproject.net/resources/articles/10_40_window

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