The Number of Unreached People Groups in the U.S. and Canada: A Call for More and Better Urban Research-Part 5

While the United States and Canada are two of the most researched nations in the world, believe it or not, we lack both the research and data on the numbers of unreached people groups living in these two countries.I am amazed that we have better information about a unreached people group living on the backside of the Himalayas than we do among the same people group living in our urban contexts. Our Best DatabasesThe three best collections regarding the world's unreached people groups come from World Christian Database, Joshua Project, and the Global Research Department of the International Mission Board.  While there are limitations to these collections, I consider each to be gifts to the Church.  They represent years of research and are well respected among missiologists.For the most part, these collections best represent the people groups of the world found outside of the United States and Canada. Since the two most accessible databases are with the Joshua Project and the Global Research Department, I will limit the rest of this post to these two collections.    The X-FactorsResearchers with the Joshua Project have spent the majority of their time focused on countries other than the United States and Canada, where there are fewer Evangelicals present and access to the gospel is more limited.  While this database reveals information on the unreached peoples in the United States and Canada, the data for these two countries is limited.The information that is available is a starting point for understanding our present realities.  Such information is based primarily on Census data and does not provide the details for an accurate understanding of the people groups.  In other words, just because Nigerians show up in a national count, the research has not been accomplished to provide the people groups in this nationality (See my previous post on the limitations of our best data).A similar reality is found with the data from the Global Research Department.At the time of this writing--according to denominational policy--the Global Research Department has the assignment of researching every country of the world except the United States and Canada.  And because their research has been focused elsewhere, accurate people group counts, the evangelical percentages of the various peoples living in these two countries, and information as to whether or not anyone is engaging such peoples with the gospel and planting churches among them is not available (The North American Mission Board is assigned to missionary activity in the United States, Canada, and their respective territories.  Unfortunately, very little research has been conducted by the North American Mission Board on its assigned region of the world.).Despite these limitations, the Global Research Department is able to provide the names and estimated populations of several hundred unreached peoples residing in these countries.  However, the status of those considered unreached is based on the assumption that since such groups are considered unreached in other parts of the world, then it is highly likely that they are unreached in the United States and Canada.At the time of this writing, accurate information on the unreached people groups living in the United States and Canada does not exist. The data does not exist because no denomination, parachurch organization, or network has conducted the research. My Estimation of the UPGs in the United States and CanadaLast month, I presented a paper to the Southeastern region of the Evangelical Missiological Society in which I shared my estimation of the number of unreached people groups residing in the United States and Canada.  Using inferences from the data collected by the Joshua Project and the Global Research Department, my estimation is that there are between 368 to 641 people groups living in the United States and Canada that are comprised of a 2% or less Evangelical population.Obviously this is a very large range, based on assumptions behind the data of the Joshua Project and the Global Research Department.This is the best approximation we have at present.  And it is woefully inadequate for the task we have received.  More and better research is needed.A failure to reach the peoples here will not only hinder the advancement of the gospel here but will also hinder the advancement of the gospel throughout the world.In my final post, I will share four matters that are needed for the Church to move in the necessary direction of doing more and better research to guide missionary strategy.What are your thoughts on the lack of such research in the United States and Canada?  Does such a lack of research have any implications on what we believe about missiology and missions in this part of the world? If you missed the previous posts in this series, you may find them HERE.