“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world then the end will come”
[Nov.11.2022] Nigeria has the largest number of Protestants in the world. Among the Protestants, the Pentecostal denomination was the largest. In addition, over the past 120 years, the world’s Protestant landscape has declined in the northern hemisphere, including Europe, while South America, Africa, and Asia have made significant strides.
Gina Zurlo, co-director of the World Christian Research Center at Gordon Cornwell Theological Seminary in the U.S., recently published “Global Christianity,” which contains the latest Christian status around the world.
According to a booklet obtained by the Kookmin Ilbo on the 9th, Nigeria had the largest number of Protestants as of 2020, accounting for 62.06 million. It accounts for 35 % of its total population. Then the U.S. (54.04 million), China (34 million), Brazil (32.14 million), and Britain (26.83 million) followed after Nigeria.
Among the top 10 countries, there were three African countries, three Asian countries, three European and North American countries, and one South American country. In 1900, it was seven European countries, two North American countries, and one Oceania country. During the last 120 years, all Protestant countries except the United States, Britain, and Germany disappeared from the rankings, and Asia and Africa filled the rank.
Protestantism around the world has moved from the northern hemisphere, centered in Europe and North America, to the southern hemisphere, dominated by African, South American, and Asian countries. The statistics of Christians, including Protestants and Orthodox, and Catholic populations, are similar. The United States (240 million) has the largest number of Christians in the world.
Brazil, Mexico, Russia, China, the Philippines, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and India followed. As a century passed, the world’s Christian landscape, including Protestantism, has completely changed.
“In 1900, 82% of Christians lived in the northern hemisphere, including Europe and North America, and this rate fell to 33% in 2020, and today, the number of Christians in the southern hemisphere has increased to 26% of Christians around the world.”
Among the denominations of Christianity around the world, Catholicism, which has 1.219 billion believers was the largest. The second largest denomination was the Pentecostal denomination (644 million). Presbyterian denomination which has the largest religious affiliation in Korea has 65 million believers and is ranked 10th in the global religious affiliation ranking. This figure includes the number of Presbyterians in Korea (Source: Kookmin Ilbo).
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
God, thank You for working tirelessly to bring the souls of South America, Africa, and Asia back to the Lord, although Christianity has declined in the northern hemisphere, including Europe and North America, over the past 120 years. Let the redeemed of the Lord be witnesses of the gospel of the cross and live a life like a missionary that conveys the news of salvation to all nations. In addition, awaken the Christians in the Northern Hemisphere so that they may stand before the gospel again. Pray that the whole world may taste the glory of the church getting ready for the day of the Lord’s coming.
Prayer 24·365
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