Over the past three decades, our missionary path for my wife Jennifer and I has taken us to jungles, deserts, megacities, and mountain villages. We’ve preached under open skies, in house churches, and in stadiums. We’ve seen God heal the sick, protect His people, and open impossible doors. Every step has been a training ground for what is ahead.
“Why hasn’t anyone come to tell us about Jesus before?”
Why the Great Commission Mission Still Matters Today
Years ago, while we were leading a pioneer missionary team in Ethiopia, I’ll never forget the moment a villager truly grasped the message of Jesus for the first time. I watched as the veil lifted from his eyes and he understood that Jesus was his Savior. With deep sincerity, he invited Jesus into his heart and was filled with indescribable joy.
A Villager’s Question That Reveals the Great Commission Mission Gap
But then came the question that stopped me cold. With a look of confusion, the translator told me he asked, “Why hasn’t anyone come to tell us about Jesus before?”
I had no good answer. His question echoed the one I often ask myself: Why do some live and die without ever hearing the gospel, while others hear it countless times? It’s not right. It’s the very picture of injustice.
That moment ignited a fire in us. It lit a passion to right that wrong and to declare the good news where it has never been heard. Because the same Jesus who died for that Ethiopian villager, hearing the gospel for the first time, also died for those in “Christian” nations who have heard it again and again.
Each step since then has been guided by God, leading us to this very point.
Looking back, we see a divine thread through every miracle witnessed, every soul reached, and every hardship endured that was woven together as preparation for this new chapter for God’s Church and unreached missions. The same God who guided us through those seasons is now calling us to help lead this global movement into its next harvest.
The Unfinished Task of the Great Commission Mission
If the Great Commission was complete, history as we know it would already have shifted. Jesus declared in Matthew 24:14 that the gospel will be preached to all nations (the Greek word ethne, meaning people groups) before the end comes.
Why the Great Commission Mission Is Not Yet Complete
Yet today, there remain communities and entire cultures where the name of Jesus has never been heard, where no Scripture exists in their language, and where no church is present.
One Mission, One Movement: The Urgency of the Great Commission Mission
This is why the vision we’ve embraced carries three simple, but weighty, declarations:
One Mission. There is only one gospel, one Great Commission, and one task that matters for eternity…to make disciples of all nations.
One Movement. The mission will not be completed by a single church, region, or nation working alone. It requires a united, Spirit-empowered Church, moving together with purpose.
One Chance. For many of these people, their first opportunity to hear the gospel may also be their last. Eternity hangs in the balance.
Why the First Opportunity Matters in the Great Commission Mission
The Missiology of “One Chance”
When we speak of “One Chance,” we are not appealing to urgency for urgency’s sake. This is grounded in a biblical and historical reality:
• Biblically, the gospel spreads most rapidly when believers are intentional about proclamation (Romans 10:14–15).
• Historically, the first presentation of the gospel often sets the trajectory for a people group for generations. Some respond with openness; others face persecution. But in every case, that first opportunity matters.
A pioneer vision means we intentionally go where the gospel has not yet taken root. It is a place where there are no Christian witnesses to carry the message forward. This requires prayerful sending, cultural humility, and a willingness to risk comfort for the sake of those who have never heard.
How Churches Can Participate in the Great Commission Mission
But this vision isn’t only for those who can pack their bags and head to the final frontier. The beauty of the gospel is that your mission field begins right where you are. Whether you pastor in a small rural church or serve in a major city, your “Jerusalem” matters. But it doesn’t stop there. We are called to move outward—to Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth—until every person has had their one chance to hear and respond.
Your Role in the Great Commission Mission Today
Local outreach fuels global missions, and global missions inspire local outreach. A church that reaches across the street will be a church that reaches across the ocean. It’s a movement that started a few thousand years ago. But the question is, “Will God’s Church unite to finish the Assignment?”
For those like our friend in Ethiopia still waiting for someone to bring the Good News, we must proclaim: one chance for every person.
If not God’s Church, then who?
Karl Hӓrgestam is an author, speaker, and Global Missions Director for the Pentecostal Church of God.
