The Middle East and the 10/40 Window

Countries, like Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, that have either successfully or unsuccessfully revolted against the government in the past few months are all in an area coined as the 10/40 Window. The 10/40 Window is a geographical area located 10 degrees by 40 degrees north of the equator and stretches from West Africa, through the Middle East, to Eastern Asia. It encompasses the majority of the world’s unreached peoples. An “unreached” people group is a group that has less than 5% Christian adherents and is one that has no indigenous community of Christians to evangelize to that people group. So the question is, “How can they hear unless someone preaches to them?” (Romans 10:14-15)

10/40 Window Facts

-4 billion (70% of the world’s people) of the world’s 6 billion people live here.

-There are 62 nations within the 10/40 window.

-97% of the unreached nations are in the window.

-The 10/40 Window contains over 1 billion Muslims, nearly 1 billion Hindus and 600 million Buddhists.

-More than 8 out of 10 of the poorest of the poor live in the Window (average wage: $1.40/day).

-It is an area of great spiritual darkness known as the “resistance belt.”

-Only 8% of all missionary effort and less than 1% of the budget of our churches goes to reach the 10/40 window.

Let’s pray for the Middle East and the 10/40 Window, that God would strengthen His church there and that the message of His hope and the love of Jesus would be proclaimed. As Jesus prayed, may His Kingdom come and His will be done in the Middle East as it is in Heaven. We long for the day when Christ will return, and we believe that our work in advancing the Gospel into the 10/40 Window will hasten his coming, as He promised, “This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)