80% of the world’s evangelical Christians live in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Over the last 50 years, God’s church has grown exponentially in these areas.

These regions have tremendous mission sending potential to help bring the gospel to unreached peoples, but they currently send only 20% of the world’s cross-cultural missionaries!

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Total Number of Evangelicals

Cultural Bridges to UPGs

Regional Access to UPGs

Religious Freedom

Prosperity

Current Sending Abroad

Mobilization Potential

Custom Mobilization Potential

Number of Evangelicals

Cultural Bridges

Strategic Access

Religious Freedoms

Current Sending

This infographic provides a visual score for seven data points ranked on a 0 to 100 scale. Faded icons show scores for other countries on the mobilization index. See below for actual scores and country-specific insights.

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FINANCIAL DEPENDENCY

INACCESSIBLE

LIMITED MISSION FORCE

DISTANT AND FOREIGN MISSION FIELD

THE WORLD IS THE MISSION FIELD

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Divinely Set in the Midst of the Unreached

A Small Percentage with a Great Task

Malaysia is home to roughly 1,200,000 evangelicals, which is approximately 5% of the total population. Furthemore, Malaysia is also home to 79 unreached people groups. Malaysia is predominantly Muslim with many ethnic and non-religious groups as well.&nbsp;
This predominance of Islam pervades the political and social communities of Malaysia as well. This is what makes the work of Malaysian evangelicals so difficult. Not only are there social rules and regulations in place, but many Islamic communities will send any members that show interest or have recently converted to Christianity to ""faith rehabilitation centers"" where they are educated on how and why it is necessary to stay faithful to Islam. [[4]] Not only are Malaysian evangelicals greatly outnumbered by their Islamic neighbors, they must strive daily to find ways to reach their Muslim neighbors, in light of the preventative measures the Islamic community has taken to keep their members.

Cultural Values as Bridges to Unreached Neighbors

With an average Median Cultural Distance of 17.43, Malaysia shares many cultural similarities with the 30 UPG nations on our list. It ranks similarly in all components of Hofstede's values to its geographical neighbors, Indonesia and Singapore, as well as many other UPG nations.&nbsp;
Malaysian culture is extremely communal and tradition based, meaning that the needs and values of the group and traditional honor is typically placed above the individual. Malaysians are so community focused that they can easily understand and be attracted to the community that Christ offers, both in Himself and in his worldwide body of believers. Malaysian evangelicals could easily discover ways to communicate this aspect of the gospel to UPG cultures who also have a high value for community. This cultural value of community is also what makes being an evangelical Christian in Malaysia so difficult, as the country is predominantly made up of Muslims and centered upon Islamic traditions. Walking with Christ is not only going against the norm but challenging an entire traditional staple of the culture, which often results in outcasting.&nbsp;
Pray that the Lord would use the cultural values of Malaysia to spur evangelicals to the unreached, giving them strength to walk through any societal tensions caused by religious affiliations.

High Access to Millions of Unreached

With unreached populations of over 16,000,000 in-country and over 328 million regionally, Malaysia scores high in the Strategic Access index. As the majority of Malaysians are Muslim, the evangelical church can love the unreached within their own communities. Praise God for such convenient access to the unreached! If the Malaysian evangelical church launched missionaries outside of their borders, their access to the unreached is 20 times greater. Pray that the Lord would raise up an evangelical church that capitalizes on both the in-country and regional opportunities to reach the millions of people that do not know the name of Jesus.

High Restrictions Pose a Threat

According to Pew Research, Malaysia is tied for the highest level of religious restrictions out of the 60 countries on the Mobilization Index. Ranking at 7.6, along with Egypt, Malaysian evangelicals have extremely little freedom of religion. Though the Malaysian constitution allows for some religions other than Islam (the nation's official religion) to be peacefully practiced, it does not permit total freedom of religion. [[5]] Thus, there is still much tension and strife for those who are practicing Christians. &nbsp;This could be a deterrent for any missionaries or mobilizers looking to launch to or from Malaysia. A tension that is exemplified in the 2017 abduction of Pastor Raymond Koh. [[6]]

High Prosperity and an Economy made for Sending

With a ranking of 40, Malaysia scores better than average on the Legatum Prosperity Index when compared to other Mobilization Index countries.&nbsp;
Compared to the other Central and Southeast Asian countries on the Index, Malaysia ranks 8th in total prosperity. [[7]] The country has moved up 5 spots in the rankings in the last 10 years and has continued to rank highest in Social Capital and Investment Environment. With such a strong economy and almost equally strong education system, the country is well poised to be a supportive sending force. Though personal freedoms are low, were the opportunity to support and launch missionaries to arise, the Malaysian economy and infrastructure would thrive at sending! Pray that the Lord of the harvest would use the potential in sending to raise up a nation that launches and supports go-ers!&nbsp;

A Supporting Economy could Change Malaysian Sending

Malaysia's current sending numbers are 250 missionaries in-country and 180 abroad, ranking the country's sending at a moderate position.&nbsp;
One prayer goal of the Mobilization Index is to see 0.1%, or 1 in a 1,000, of a nation&rsquo;s evangelical church mobilized for missions. That means that with current sending numbers, only .00015% of the Malaysian evangelical church has been mobilized. Imagine what it could look like to see 1,200 or more Malaysians going to unreached places where the Gospel is hardly known! Pray that the Lord would multiply those willing to go, as well as those willing to send in the Malaysian church. Ask that the Malaysian church would recognize its unique ability to be successful senders and supporters of missions, as their desire to send could be the catalyst for a Malaysian missions movement.

High Potential, Despite Barriers and Restrictions

The Malaysian economy and education system is prosperous enough that if the evangelical church supported just 0.1% to be mobilized to go to the unreached, the Lord&rsquo;s Harvest would see thousands of new missionaries raised up! Coupled with Malaysia's close cultural distance to many UPGs, both within their borders and in neighboring nations, Malaysians are ripe for mobilization. Though evangelical Christians experience great social hostilities and must endure governmental restrictions, the country as a whole ranks High in their mobilization potential.&nbsp;
Praise God that mission mobilization is on the rise in Malaysia! Praise the Lord for mobilization ministries such as Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, Kairos and others that are available resources to the Malaysian evangelical church. [[8]] Mobilization ministries have great potential to open up the eyes and hearts of Malaysian evangelicals to God's desire to make His name known among all nations. Let us pray that the Malaysian church would stand fast through social persecutions and restrictions and work to take the good news of the Gospel to their unreached neighbor!

Obstacles:
<ul>
<li>Malaysian evangelicals have experienced social hostilities and governmental restrictions that could serve as barriers to their sharing the Gospel with their neighbor.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The communal nature and values of Malaysian and Islamic culture could be an obstacle for Christians. If an individual makes a choice outside of their community values, they could experience outcasting, familial shunning, and extreme guilt. &nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Opportunities:
<ul>
<li>As Malaysian evangelicals are surrounded by Muslims every day, they have incredible opportunities to share the gospel without having to leave their borders.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The strength of the economy, paired with courses such as Perspectives, means that there is great potential to support a new wave of missionaries, as the funds and infrastructure for sending are in place.</li>
</ul>

Prayer:
<ul>
<li>Pray that the Malaysian church would raise up and send out 1 in 1,000 believers from their country, which would result in thousands of new cross-cultural laborers!</li>
<li>Continue to pray for Malaysian evangelicals and any governmental oppression or social hostilities that they might endure.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Praises:
<ul>
<li>That God has already sent out close to 180 missionaries from Malaysia!</li>
<li>Praise God for Malaysia's in country access to millions of unreached Muslims and the ministry opportunities that brings.</li>
</ul>

PEW religious restriction numbers Myanmar

Official Country Name:Federation of Malaya

Population:31,950,000

Region:Southeast Asia

Government:Federal Constitutional Monarchy

Official Languages:Malay

Religious Demographics:Muslim ±62%, Christian ±9%, Evangelical ±4%

Malaysia