Developing Strategies for Reaching Cities -- By: Ken L. Davis
Journal: Journal of Ministry and Theology
Volume: JMAT 04:2 (Fall 2000)
Article: Developing Strategies for Reaching Cities
Author: Ken L. Davis
JMAT 4:2 (Fall 00) p. 118
Developing Strategies for Reaching Cities
Director Of Church Planting
Baptist Bible Seminary, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
It is popular, because of accessible global travel and instant world news, to refer to our modern world as a “global village.” It would seem to be more correct, however, to speak of the world as a “global city.”
The Urban Challenge
Today more than half the world population lives in cities. In 1900 only 8 percent did. The spectacular growth of large cities on our planet creates an awesome challenge to the Christian Church on all six continents. There are presently 300 cities of over a million people, and within 20 years there will be 570. It is projected that by the end of the next century, two-thirds of the world will live in one of 1,660 mega cities of over a million residents each. That is phenomenal growth from only one mega city in the 19th century.1 Clearly a Sovereign God is urbanizing the world.
Much of this exploding urban growth has been in giant cities located in the Two-thirds world. Of the seven cities in 1950 with over 5 million residents, only two were in Asia, Africa, or Latin America. By 1985, 22 of the 34 giant cities were in the developing world. By 2020 it is estimated that the Two-thirds world will be home to 80 of our globe’s 93 giant cities.2 Towns are becoming cities, cities are becoming metropolises, and metropolises are becoming megapolises. Everywhere we look there are people, people,
JMAT 4:2 (Fall 00) p. 119
people - lost people who need to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. What will be the Church’s response?
Cities in the developing world are also continuing to expand, though more slowly. By the year 2000 Los Angeles will be a metropolis of over 14 million. Metro New York will be almost 20 million, Paris over 10 million, and Tokyo almost 24 million.3 Three out of four Americans now live in an urban center of 50,000 or more. Half of all Americans live in just 40 metropolitan areas, and over half of these people are unchurched. When Jesus saw the urban multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them. Do we care?
America’s cities are a vast mosaic of diverse cultures, languages, and ethnic makeup. Detroit, for example, has 100 ethnic groups. Often each group is separated from the others by invisible boundaries. Our nation’s cities are home to 60 million culturally distinct peoples. Three-fourths of these are non-Christians. A Sovereign God is literally br...
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