Ministry in a Multi-Cultural and Unchurched Society

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Mi n i s t r y i n a Mu l t i -Cu l tura l and Unchur ched Soc i et y

Appendix 56 World Christianity by the Numbers A Review of the World Christian Encyclopedia, Second Edition Gerald H. Anderson, International Bulletin of Missionary Research . July 2002. pp. 128-130 When David Barrett’s World Christian Encyclopedia ( WCE1 ) first appeared in 1982, it was a stunning achievement, providing com prehensive information about the whole church in the whole world in one volume for the first time. For two decades it was the standard reference for researchers who were seeking reliable data about the status of Christianity throughout the world. About the time WCE1 appeared, Barrett relocated his World Evangelization Research Center (WERC) from Nairobi, Kenya, where he had served as an Anglican missionary, to Richmond, Virginia. Now a second edition has appeared ( WCE2 ) in two volumes, by Barrett along with Todd M. Johnson, director of WERC, and George T. Kurian, founder and president of the Society of Encyclopedists. The sheer size and weight of these two massive volumes is awesome; the content is breathtaking in its scope and detail. Volume 1, The World by Countries: Religionists, Churches, Ministries , presents detailed information of Christianity in each of the world’s 238 countries. Organized Christianity is sorted into six major ecclesiastico-cultural megablocs (from largest to smallest: Roman Catholics, Independents, Protestants, Orthodox, Anglicans, Marginal Christians), divided into 300 major traditions, with nearly 34,000 distinct denominations (more than 3.4 million worship centers, local churches, or congregations ( WCE2 , 1:16 summary). There is a vast amount of data here. Especially useful are the 238 individual country profiles, which compose the greater part of volume 1. Each country profile includes basic secular data on the country and a table of religious adherents in the country, along with sections on human life and liberty, non-Christian religions, Christianity, church and state, broadcasting and media, inter denominational organization, future trends and prospects, and a bibliography. A second table for each country presents a list of organized churches and denominations with membership statistics. At the back of the volume is a mini-atlas with a series of colored

Gerald H. Anderson, senior contributing editor, is Director Emeritus of the Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut. World Christian Encyclopedia: A Comparative Survey of Churches and Religions in the Modern World . David B. Barrett, George T. Kurian, and Todd M. Johnson. 2d ed. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2001. 2 vols. Pp. xii, 876; vi, 823. $295. World Christian Trends A.D. 30-A.D. 2200: Interpreting the Annual Christian Megacensus . By David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson. Pasadena, Calif.: William Carey Library, 2001. Pp. xvii, 934; CD-ROM. $100.