Global Christianity

Hong Kong Christians at Gateway Camp. In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western World Christians as there were Western World Christians.

Christianity is the world's largest religion and it has seen tremendous growth over its 2000-year history.

In terms of its geographic distribution, Christianity is the most globally diverse religion. Christianity has recently seen explosive growth outside the Western World. In 2000, there were twice as many non-Western Christians as Western Christians. In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western Christians as there were Western World Christians. There are now more non-Western missionaries than Western missionaries. See also: Global scope of indigenous evangelical Christianity evangelism

Phillip Jenkins published the book The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity.

Chuck Colson, citing the work of Jenkins, writes:

“

As Penn State professor Philip Jenkins writes in The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, predictions like Huntingtons betray an ignorance of the explosive growth of Christianity outside of the West. For instance, in 1900, there were approximately 10 million Christians in Africa. By 2000, there were 360 million. By 2025, conservative estimates see that number rising to 633 million. Those same estimates put the number of Christians in Latin America in 2025 at 640 million and in Asia at 460 million. According to Jenkins, the percentage of the worlds population that is, at least by name, Christian will be roughly the same in 2050 as it was in 1900. By the middle of this century, there will be three billion Christians in the world -- one and a half times the number of Muslims. In fact, by 2050 there will be nearly as many Pentecostal Christians in the world as there are Muslims today.

”

According to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC), which has made projections up until the year of 2050, the percentage of the global population that are evangelical Christians/Pentecostals is expected to increase.

In 2012, the CSGC reported that every day there are 800 less atheists per day, 1,100 less non-religious (agnostic) people per day and 83,000 more people professing to be Christians per day.

In 2011, the American Spectator declared:

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The report estimates about 80,000 new Christians every day, 79,000 new Muslims every day, and 300 fewer atheists every day. These atheists are presumably disproportionately represented in the West, while religion is thriving in the Global South, where charismatic Christianity is exploding."

”

See also: Atheism vs. Christianity

Christianity by continent

Watoto Children's Choir from Kampala, Uganda. In recent years, Christianity has seen a rapid growth in Africa.

In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western World Christians as there were Western World Christians.

See also: Christianity by continent

Below are articles on Christianiy in the six continents with major populations:

• Christianity in Africa
• Christianity in Asia
• Christianity in Australia
• Christianity in Europe
• Christianity in North America
• Christianity in South America

Growth of Christianity

See also: Growth of Christianity

In March 2024, Frontier Partners International reported:

“

The Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary recently reported that global Christianity is experiencing remarkable growth, defying expectations and surpassing population rates. Contrary to the anticipated slowdown, the Christian population is projected to climb from over 2.52 billion to 2.63 billion, representing a 1.08 percent growth, and is expected to surpass 3 billion by 2050. Within Christianity, certain denominations are witnessing even more rapid expansion. Notably, Protestants (1.63 percent), independents (1.96 percent), evangelicals (1.66 percent), and Pentecostal/charismatics (1.48 percent) are identified as the fastest-growing groups, showcasing the diverse nature of the faith’s evolution. The growth of Christianity is particularly pronounced in the global south, with Africa and Asia emerging as the fastest-growing regions. Africa, in particular, has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from having less than 10 million Christians at the turn of the 20th century to now being home to 734 million Christians, growing at a rate of 2.64 percent. By 2050, Africa is projected to host more Christians than Asia and Latin America combined. Intriguingly, the report indicates that Christianity is not only growing in numbers but is also expanding geographically. In 1900, 95 percent of the world’s Christians lived in predominantly Christian countries. However, the trend is shifting, with a decline of 0.17 percent between 2020 and 2024, indicating that more Christians are residing in diverse, non-Christian majority nations.

”

Implications of the explosive growth of global Christianity

see also: Internet evangelism and Atheist population

It is thought that given the increase in the availability of public's access to global communications that the more theologically conservative non-Western Christianity could influence Western Christianity to move into more theologically conservative direction. For example, non-Western Anglicans are exerting influence in the worldwide Anglican communion as far as the Anglican Communion's policy concerning homosexuality.

Chinese Christians and plans for evangelism outside of China

Professor Fenggang Yang indicates:

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One sign of the advancing state of Christianity in China is that it is reaching out to the larger world. Nine hundred Chinese pastors gathered in Hong Kong this fall for the Mission 2030 Conference. Their goal: To send out 20,000 missionaries from mainland China by 2030.

”

• How a Chinese-Born Research Scientist Became a Daring Online Evangelist, Christianity Today, 2024

See also

• American Christianity
• Internet evangelism
• Evangelical Christians
• Evangelism
• Decline of atheism
• Atheist Population
• Atheism and health
• Infant baptism
• Essay: Water baptism cannot save, the Church cannot save, Born again by faith alone

External links

• 7 encouraging trends in global Christianity
• Is Islam Really the Second-Fastest Growing Religion?
• Faith and Conflict: The Global Rise of Christianity by Pew Research Center
• Christianity taking over planet?
• The stunning growth of Christianity in China
• The African apostles: How Christianity exploded in 20th-century Africa
• 2000 YEARS OF CHRISTIAN INCREASE

Specific forms of Christianity which are growing in the world and in the United States and the UK:

Global Christianity, Charismatic Christianity and Pentecostalism:

• Growth of Pentecostalism
• Pentecostalism and Asia
• Why the growth of Pentecostalism is an under-reported story

United States:

• A New Exodus: Americans are leaving liberal churches
• Religious conservatism growth in the USA and the turning point of 2020

UK:

• Evangelical Christianity is growing in the UK and challenging liberal forms of Anglicanism in the UK