Mythbusting in the Global South
As Christianity’s center of gravity shifts from the West, many Western Christians are eager to discern where the Gospel is most needed and what faithful partnership looks like. Yet, assumptions about Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other “majority-world contexts” can obscure the realities shaping faith today.
By addressing five common myths and replacing them with up-to-date perspectives, we open new doors for informed stewardship, prayer, and collaboration.
Myth 1: Christianity Is Declining Everywhere
In North America and Western Europe, declining church attendance and cultural shifts have prompted many to believe that Christianity is in retreat globally. But the broader reality is very different.
Correction: A growing majority of Christians reside in Africa, Asia, and Latin America—regions that are shaping the next chapter of global Christian witness.
Implication: The “hub” of Christianity is now in places Westerners may least expect. When we recognize this shift, we discover an opportunity for mutual encouragement and strategic partnership with leaders who carry the Gospel into daily opposition and incredible possibilities.
Myth 2: Regions With Limited Gospel Access Are Spiritually Passive
Some assume that places with little Christian presence or regions with limited Gospel access are simply uninterested in the Gospel. The reality is far more complex.
Correction: Spiritual curiosity and openness are widespread in these contexts. What often limits Gospel growth is not apathy, but barriers such as cultural pressures, legal restrictions, and social consequences for expressing faith. In these environments, open evangelism can be risky, but interest in big questions of life, hope, and faith is still deep.
Implication: Effective outreach depends on local leaders who understand language, customs, and challenges. Their witness is relational, credible, and born out of daily life. This is why equipping indigenous Haggai Leaders, already rooted in their communities, is often the most fruitful strategy.
Myth 3: Mission Is Still West-to-the-Rest
Images of Western missionaries boarding planes for distant lands remain dominant in the imagination of many churchgoers, but they tell only part of the story.
Correction: Today’s Gospel movement is multidirectional. Christian migrants are increasingly emerging from majority-world contexts, living out the Gospel through their vocations in new cities or regional hubs, and reversing older ideas of what mission can look like.
Implication: The key to multiplying Gospel impact in majority-world contexts is not more “from the West to the rest.” Instead, it’s strengthening and sustaining those who already have access, cultural credibility, and God-given influence in their own nations and beyond. Western stewardship can fuel these homegrown movements.
Myth 4: Poverty Is the Main Barrier to Gospel Growth
It’s easy to assume that poverty alone explains spiritual and social need in places where the Church is less visible. While material needs are real, they are not always the primary obstacle.
Correction: Relational, cultural, and systemic barriers, such as limited religious freedom, social hostility, and lack of access to leadership training, pose greater challenges to Gospel expansion. In fact, many Christian leaders in majority-world contexts already do extraordinary work with few resources, demonstrating compassion, hope, and generosity.
Implication: Effective partnership means more than sending funds. It involves walking alongside local leaders, supporting long-term discipleship and holistic witness, and seeking restoration in every aspect of community life.
Myth 5: Western Models Fit Everywhere
There is a long tradition of Western-developed church materials and strategies being used worldwide. Yet, what works in one culture or region may not translate elsewhere without adaptation.
Correction: Lasting change and Gospel growth happen when regional approaches shape ministry. Haggai Leaders and other indigenous Christians bring unique insights about how Scripture speaks into their culture’s deepest questions, how hope is fostered in hardship, and how transformation looks in their local context.
Implication: Global partnership means learning, listening, and making space for local perspectives to lead. Donors and friends in the West add the most value not by exporting solutions, but by resourcing, listening to, and learning from those already positioned for impact.
Partnership for a Restorative Future
As Christianity grows most dynamically where Gospel access and tangible resources are often most limited, the call to partnership is changing. Effective stewardship today means responding to what God is already doing through strategically placed local leaders, deepening trust, sharing resources wisely, and believing in the power of Gospel witness that is both demonstrated and proclaimed.
Wherever you are on your journey of global engagement, may this understanding shape your prayers, your giving, and your perspective. Partnership in God’s movement is not about direction, but about walking together, honoring the strengths each part of the global Church brings, and looking for restoration in every nation.
Mythbusting in the Global South
As Christianity’s center of gravity shifts from the West, many Western Christians are eager to discern where the Gospel is most needed and what faithful partnership looks like. Yet, assumptions about Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other “majority-world contexts” can obscure the realities shaping faith today.
By addressing five common myths and replacing them with up-to-date perspectives, we open new doors for informed stewardship, prayer, and collaboration.
Myth 1: Christianity Is Declining Everywhere
In North America and Western Europe, declining church attendance and cultural shifts have prompted many to believe that Christianity is in retreat globally. But the broader reality is very different.
Correction: A growing majority of Christians reside in Africa, Asia, and Latin America—regions that are shaping the next chapter of global Christian witness.
Implication: The “hub” of Christianity is now in places Westerners may least expect. When we recognize this shift, we discover an opportunity for mutual encouragement and strategic partnership with leaders who carry the Gospel into daily opposition and incredible possibilities.
Myth 2: Regions With Limited Gospel Access Are Spiritually Passive
Some assume that places with little Christian presence or regions with limited Gospel access are simply uninterested in the Gospel. The reality is far more complex.
Correction: Spiritual curiosity and openness are widespread in these contexts. What often limits Gospel growth is not apathy, but barriers such as cultural pressures, legal restrictions, and social consequences for expressing faith. In these environments, open evangelism can be risky, but interest in big questions of life, hope, and faith is still deep.
Implication: Effective outreach depends on local leaders who understand language, customs, and challenges. Their witness is relational, credible, and born out of daily life. This is why equipping indigenous Haggai Leaders, already rooted in their communities, is often the most fruitful strategy.
Myth 3: Mission Is Still West-to-the-Rest
Images of Western missionaries boarding planes for distant lands remain dominant in the imagination of many churchgoers, but they tell only part of the story.
Correction: Today’s Gospel movement is multidirectional. Christian migrants are increasingly emerging from majority-world contexts, living out the Gospel through their vocations in new cities or regional hubs, and reversing older ideas of what mission can look like.
Implication: The key to multiplying Gospel impact in majority-world contexts is not more “from the West to the rest.” Instead, it’s strengthening and sustaining those who already have access, cultural credibility, and God-given influence in their own nations and beyond. Western stewardship can fuel these homegrown movements.
Myth 4: Poverty Is the Main Barrier to Gospel Growth
It’s easy to assume that poverty alone explains spiritual and social need in places where the Church is less visible. While material needs are real, they are not always the primary obstacle.
Correction: Relational, cultural, and systemic barriers, such as limited religious freedom, social hostility, and lack of access to leadership training, pose greater challenges to Gospel expansion. In fact, many Christian leaders in majority-world contexts already do extraordinary work with few resources, demonstrating compassion, hope, and generosity.
Implication: Effective partnership means more than sending funds. It involves walking alongside local leaders, supporting long-term discipleship and holistic witness, and seeking restoration in every aspect of community life.
Myth 5: Western Models Fit Everywhere
There is a long tradition of Western-developed church materials and strategies being used worldwide. Yet, what works in one culture or region may not translate elsewhere without adaptation.
Correction: Lasting change and Gospel growth happen when regional approaches shape ministry. Haggai Leaders and other indigenous Christians bring unique insights about how Scripture speaks into their culture’s deepest questions, how hope is fostered in hardship, and how transformation looks in their local context.
Implication: Global partnership means learning, listening, and making space for local perspectives to lead. Donors and friends in the West add the most value not by exporting solutions, but by resourcing, listening to, and learning from those already positioned for impact.
Partnership for a Restorative Future
As Christianity grows most dynamically where Gospel access and tangible resources are often most limited, the call to partnership is changing. Effective stewardship today means responding to what God is already doing through strategically placed local leaders, deepening trust, sharing resources wisely, and believing in the power of Gospel witness that is both demonstrated and proclaimed.
Wherever you are on your journey of global engagement, may this understanding shape your prayers, your giving, and your perspective. Partnership in God’s movement is not about direction, but about walking together, honoring the strengths each part of the global Church brings, and looking for restoration in every nation.
Mythbusting in the Global South
As Christianity’s center of gravity shifts from the West, many Western Christians are eager to discern where the Gospel is most needed and what faithful partnership looks like. Yet, assumptions about Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other “majority-world contexts” can obscure the realities shaping faith today.
By addressing five common myths and replacing them with up-to-date perspectives, we open new doors for informed stewardship, prayer, and collaboration.
Myth 1: Christianity Is Declining Everywhere
In North America and Western Europe, declining church attendance and cultural shifts have prompted many to believe that Christianity is in retreat globally. But the broader reality is very different.
Correction: A growing majority of Christians reside in Africa, Asia, and Latin America—regions that are shaping the next chapter of global Christian witness.
Implication: The “hub” of Christianity is now in places Westerners may least expect. When we recognize this shift, we discover an opportunity for mutual encouragement and strategic partnership with leaders who carry the Gospel into daily opposition and incredible possibilities.
Myth 2: Regions With Limited Gospel Access Are Spiritually Passive
Some assume that places with little Christian presence or regions with limited Gospel access are simply uninterested in the Gospel. The reality is far more complex.
Correction: Spiritual curiosity and openness are widespread in these contexts. What often limits Gospel growth is not apathy, but barriers such as cultural pressures, legal restrictions, and social consequences for expressing faith. In these environments, open evangelism can be risky, but interest in big questions of life, hope, and faith is still deep.
Implication: Effective outreach depends on local leaders who understand language, customs, and challenges. Their witness is relational, credible, and born out of daily life. This is why equipping indigenous Haggai Leaders, already rooted in their communities, is often the most fruitful strategy.
Myth 3: Mission Is Still West-to-the-Rest
Images of Western missionaries boarding planes for distant lands remain dominant in the imagination of many churchgoers, but they tell only part of the story.
Correction: Today’s Gospel movement is multidirectional. Christian migrants are increasingly emerging from majority-world contexts, living out the Gospel through their vocations in new cities or regional hubs, and reversing older ideas of what mission can look like.
Implication: The key to multiplying Gospel impact in majority-world contexts is not more “from the West to the rest.” Instead, it’s strengthening and sustaining those who already have access, cultural credibility, and God-given influence in their own nations and beyond. Western stewardship can fuel these homegrown movements.
Myth 4: Poverty Is the Main Barrier to Gospel Growth
It’s easy to assume that poverty alone explains spiritual and social need in places where the Church is less visible. While material needs are real, they are not always the primary obstacle.
Correction: Relational, cultural, and systemic barriers, such as limited religious freedom, social hostility, and lack of access to leadership training, pose greater challenges to Gospel expansion. In fact, many Christian leaders in majority-world contexts already do extraordinary work with few resources, demonstrating compassion, hope, and generosity.
Implication: Effective partnership means more than sending funds. It involves walking alongside local leaders, supporting long-term discipleship and holistic witness, and seeking restoration in every aspect of community life.
Myth 5: Western Models Fit Everywhere
There is a long tradition of Western-developed church materials and strategies being used worldwide. Yet, what works in one culture or region may not translate elsewhere without adaptation.
Correction: Lasting change and Gospel growth happen when regional approaches shape ministry. Haggai Leaders and other indigenous Christians bring unique insights about how Scripture speaks into their culture’s deepest questions, how hope is fostered in hardship, and how transformation looks in their local context.
Implication: Global partnership means learning, listening, and making space for local perspectives to lead. Donors and friends in the West add the most value not by exporting solutions, but by resourcing, listening to, and learning from those already positioned for impact.
Partnership for a Restorative Future
As Christianity grows most dynamically where Gospel access and tangible resources are often most limited, the call to partnership is changing. Effective stewardship today means responding to what God is already doing through strategically placed local leaders, deepening trust, sharing resources wisely, and believing in the power of Gospel witness that is both demonstrated and proclaimed.
Wherever you are on your journey of global engagement, may this understanding shape your prayers, your giving, and your perspective. Partnership in God’s movement is not about direction, but about walking together, honoring the strengths each part of the global Church brings, and looking for restoration in every nation.
