Las Vegas, Nevada Church
Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

  
 

Who Is Our Mission Field?

This question came in from a member today.  Very interesting subject.  Our doctrine and constitution speak much to our missions of spreading the gospel and feeding the flock, but almost nothing is said specific to our mission field.  A mission field is an identification of the people to which we are focusing our gospel message.  Not much has been said on this subject in the past.  Garner Ted Armstrong did make a specific statement as to who is not in our mission field.  None of our efforts are directed at any of the groups who came out of the apostasy of the mother church, the Worldwide Church of God.  Now to who is in our mission field.
 

Simple answer:  Our mission field is whomever God wants it to be for whatever reasons and there are more than one.
 
Explanation:  God defines the mission field.  Some seventy-three years of experience have shown us that there are a number of groups in the overall mission field.  Each is hearing the gospel for different reasons that all have to do with Godly Calling. Keep in mind that God is ultimately calling everyone who has ever lived to the Salvation Process.  The preparation He does prior to the actual calling can cover any number of years and includes the concept of an individual hearing the gospel now for a calling to the Salvation Process in the Second Resurrection.

Let us look at these groups:
 
1] The Israel Group.  The nations of Israel [US, Canada, UK, Australia, etc.].  Mission is to imprint the gospel message on their minds for later use in the Second Resurrection.

2] The Greater World Group:  Other nations and individuals around the World.  Mission is to imprint the gospel message on their minds for later use in the Second Resurrection.

3] The Firstfruit Group:  All those God is calling now [1934-to the Great Tribulation when gospel spreading by church ends].  Mission is to call them to the Salvation Process.  The second commission of feeding the flock serves this group.

4] The Co-Worker Group:  All those being moved to be regular supporters of the Work of God.  Mission is to call them to this service.  These individuals may be called to firstfruit status or living into the millennium where they will enter Salvation Process or to the Second Resurrection.  Experience does not show large numbers from this group becoming firstfruits now.

 5] The 144,000 and Great Multitude Group:  Individuals of Israel in the 144,000 and both Israel and Gentile individuals in the great multitude.  Mission is to imprint the gospel message on their minds for a specific calling to firstfruit status after the Great Tribulation and during the Heavenly Signs and just before the return of Christ.

 6] The Millennium Group:  Both Jews and Gentiles.  These are those who will live physically into the millennium where Jesus will reign.  My guess is that we are talking about 770 million people, of which about 12 million will be from the US [my estimates based on end time prophecies].  Suspect most of these will hear the gospel from the two witnesses and/or the angels that preach the gospel in the end time.  Clearly some are getting it now.

The church cannot determine whom God is going to call.  We cannot determine numbers, timing or to which group they will be called.    That is, we cannot define whom we are going after.  We cannot point to any individual and make a distinction as to which group he or she resides.  Our mission is to spread the gospel where God gives the means and direction.  He opens all the doors and about all we know for sure is that we are to go through them as He directs.  He does this by driving circumstances.  The church generally never sees the miraculous workings of Godly Calling.  What we see are the products of that calling.

God chooses all individuals and all nations to each group according to His perfect will.  We do not define any of these.  There is no real way for us to know who they are.  We can't see brains being imprinted with the gospel.  We plant seeds and move on and never really see what comes from those seeds, save individuals of the third and fourth groups that specifically interact with the ICG, and even then we do not know for sure according to our diagram of the make-up of churches.  Not everyone attending Sabbath services is necessarily called or converted.

God gives us little, if any, information regarding His plans or timetable for most of these groups.  We are to focus on the spread of the gospel and God will surely take care of the rest.  Though we do not know specifics, we definitely know the mission field.

Further Reading:
 Numbers, Numbers, Numbers!! 
Its All About Godly Calling 
Godly Calling – who has the power here?
Soldiers of Christ – they have no say; they merely obey
 

  
 

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Las Vegas, Nevada Church of God - part of The Intercontinental Church of God and The Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association - Tyler, Texas