COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (WordNews.org) – An alliance of globally focused ministries has designated May 20, 2018, as the third annual International Day for the Unreached.

This one-day event is intended to inspire and mobilize Christians to reach out to more than 2 billion people around the world who have yet to hear the gospel, organizers said. That represents 28 percent of the world’s population. And yet just 4 percent of the 420,000 foreign missionaries are working among the unreached. More than 19 million people in some 2,500 people groups have no access to the Bible, Jesus films or Christian recordings.

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The International Day for the Unreached is being led by The Alliance for the Unreached, which is composed of Reach Beyond, Operation Mobilization, Missio Nexus, Bible For The World, Partners International, World Mission, Mission Network News and ZimZam Global.

“Let’s be clear. The unreached are not our neighbors or our co-workers who may not be Christians,” said Jon Fugler, chairman of the Alliance for the Unreached, a year-round movement spotlighting the 2 billion people globally who have yet to hear the good news. “They are not unreached, because they have us. The unreached live in places where no one is there to tell them about Jesus.”

Alliance members are concerned the term has come to be used so broadly that many Christians have lost sight of the need for a greater missions focus on parts of the world and people groups where there are few, if any believers. As a result, few missionaries are working among the truly unreached, which hampers the fulfillment of the Great Commission, and their efforts are woefully underfunded.

John Fugler, chairman of the Alliance for the Unreached.

“Of course, believers need to keep praying for and reaching out to those around us who don’t know Christ, but we believe it’s imperative that as a church we embrace a greater commitment to seeing the good news taken to the truly unreached — those in places and among people groups where the gospel has yet to be heard,” said Fugler.

Organizers said the International Day for the Unreached is held every year on Pentecost because that marks the birth of the early church, when the Holy Spirit fell on the first disciples and empowered them to follow Jesus’ command to “go into all the world.” The International Day for the Unreached aims to inform churches and individual Christians about the scale of the challenge, inspire them by reports of what is being done, and involve them in further efforts through prayer, giving and action.

More than 6 million people learned about the International Day for the Unreached on Facebook last year, when the alliance hosted a special online event. Organizers hope to reach even more this year, with the addition of three new members to the group.

Joining the alliance are: Mission Network News, a media ministry promoting missions advocacy and prayer, ZimZam Global, a church planting group focused on reaching and discipling children, and InChrist Communications, a Christian communications agency.

“We’re delighted to welcome these new partners to the alliance,” said Fugler, who is director of U.S. Media Partnerships with Reach Beyond. “Their involvement points to a growing awareness that fulfilling the Great Commission requires not only like-minded agencies, but the whole church coming together in a new way. Part of that necessitates being clearer about what we are being called to, and that means reclaiming the real meaning of ‘unreached.'”