The Great Commission hasn’t changed. But the way we respond to it absolutely has.
For decades, the default image of a missionary looked like this: someone from the U.S. packing their bags, raising support and moving halfway across the world to preach the gospel in a place where they’d probably never blend in. And in many ways, that model worked. Churches were planted. Communities were transformed. Generations changed because someone said yes to Jesus’ call to go.
But in 2025, the global landscape looks different.
Roughly 3 billion people around the world still have no access to the gospel. That means no Bible in their language, no churches nearby and no Christian neighbors. That stat is bleak on its own. But here’s the kicker: only about 3% of missionaries are working in those places. The rest are often sent to areas where the gospel is already present.
This article is part of a new 6-part series, Rethinking Missions. Check back every Wednesday.
Doug Cobb, founder of the Finishing Fund, thinks it’s time for a shift.
“Maybe Westerners were at the forefront of missions for a time,” Cobb said. “And now we can release some of that responsibility.”
What he’s talking about isn’t a new missions trend — it’s a quiet revolution. One where the focus isn’t on Westerners going, but on local believers leading the charge in their own communities.
Across parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, that strategy is proving far more effective than traditional Western-led models. It skips the years of language school. It avoids the cultural missteps. It costs less. And more importantly, it works.
Here’s why:
Local leaders already speak the language. They understand the spiritual and social nuances of their culture. They don’t need to adapt — they already belong. And in places where outsiders might raise suspicion or even hostility, they can move freely without the baggage of being foreign.
They’re also in it for the long haul. Unlike many Western missionaries who come and go in seasons, national leaders are usually home for life. That means their churches are built with staying power and local ownership from the start.
From a financial standpoint, it’s not even close. Cobb said supporting a national church planter can be up to 50 times more cost-effective than sending someone from the West. That’s not just efficient — that’s exponential growth.
This doesn’t mean traditional missions is dead. It means it’s maturing. Less about where we go and more about how we go — and who we empower along the way.
Cobb calls it “a natural evolution in global discipleship.” And he’s right. The Western church still has a vital role to play, but it’s shifting from center stage to the producer’s chair. We may not always be the ones going, but we absolutely can be the ones sending, funding and equipping.
For a generation raised on short-term trips and big dreams of global change, this isn’t a step back. It’s an invitation to double down on what works — to champion justice, support sustainable local leadership and rethink what faithfulness looks like in a connected world.
The mission hasn’t changed. But the methods must.
If we really want to reach the unreached, we have to stop assuming we’re the only ones who can do it — and start resourcing the people who already can.
The harvest is still plentiful. And now, more than ever, the workers are already there.
