The Myth of Closed Countries

Posted on December 11, 2019

Nearly 30 years ago, the sagacious mission strategist Ralph Winter was talking about the “myth of closed countries.”  What did he mean? Winter was trying to scotch the concept that just because a country is closed to American missionaries doesn’t mean it is closed to the gospel. This is a very Western (and outdated) way of looking at the world!

Yesterday I had a call with one of our directors in Eastern Europe who said to me, “As an American, you cannot safely cross into that country (unnamed) now—but we are training leaders in Ukraine who can.” Wow! Earlier this year I met with Bhutanese pastors just over the border in India. They travel a few kilometers into India just to receive our training—and return to their country to plant gospel-centered house churches. This is what Ralph Winter was talking about!

And this is why we are setting our sights on Africa in 2020. The leaders we train there will be able to take the Gospel to places that are difficult (if not impossible) for Americans to go. Your generosity this year-end makes that possible!

Missions is no longer the work of Americans and Europeans alone. It is the work of the whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world. That is why we are so passionate about our mission. Thank you for giving this December to help us equip more leaders to go to places we could never go. We cannot wait to share with you how lives will be changed because of your generosity!

For the Gospel,

Dr. Lionel Young
Executive Vice President