In late April and early May of 2015, the country of Nepal was struck by two devastating earthquakes, measuring 7.8 and 7.3 in magnitude. Over 9,000 lives were lost, and 22,000 more were injured across Nepal, India, China, and Bangladesh. Buildings crumbled, homes were flattened, and entire villages were buried beneath landslides. Hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless, and the country was thrown into chaos. The need for assistance was urgent and immediate.
In the wake of the disaster, a team of nationals who specialized in meeting the urgent physical and spiritual needs of unreached people groups in Nepal was mobilized to respond. The villages they served were extremely remote, often only reachable by a seven- to ten-day trek on foot. This team of local believers organized a two-pronged response. One group set out to reach villages by foot, bringing supplies, water, and medical aid. The journey, which normally took seven days, stretched to over two weeks due to the damaged terrain. Meanwhile, another group worked tirelessly to secure a helicopter, knowing that the urgency of the situation demanded swifter action. In the wake of the disaster, helicopters were in high demand and short supply; however, our organization secured the first helicopter for humanitarian relief. This acquisition would prove pivotal.
The helicopter was filled with tarps, water filters, blankets, food, and more. It was also accompanied by Tibetan Christ-followers who came from the villages they were going to serve. This helicopter, with its people and supplies, was a lifeline. As it entered the valley and villages, it represented the first glimpse of hope for the survivors. The villagers had not seen or heard from anyone since the earthquake had struck. This first sign of support had come from people they knew. The faces were familiar. The language was the same. This was family. The only difference now was that they were Christians, serving as the hands and feet of Jesus.
This first sign of support had come from people they knew.
The above story highlights the value of partnering with nations and national organizations. At a foundational level, the reason for partnering with nationals comes from Jesus’s call to go and make disciples of all nations. Today, there are roughly 3 billion—approximately 40 percent of the world’s population—that will live and die without hearing about and knowing Jesus. We refer to these people collectively as the unreached. Simply stated, unreached people or people groups have no body of Christ, no believers, and no Bible. Lostness is the reality, but lack of gospel access is the travesty. This reality alone should motivate us to care for the least-reached places in the world so that God receives the glory he deserves.
Some of you may be aware of the phrase “The Great Imbalance.” Roughly 3 percent of cross-cultural workers and only 1 percent of our finances are going to the 3 billion people who haven’t heard about Jesus. Going deeper, approximately 90 percent of unreached people groups are located in the 10/40 Window, where the most urgent physical and spiritual needs exist in the world today. Missions’ work to the unreached faces significant barriers and incredible adversity. Nonetheless, we press on to see unreached people groups reached with the amazing story of how Jesus loves them and came to save them.
One of the most effective ways to advance God's kingdom in difficult and unreached areas is through partnerships with national believers.
We are committed to reaching the unreached and establishing biblical churches that are self-sustaining, self-governing, and self-replicating. Our vision is to see gospel movements ignited, with all peoples coming to worship him.
However, the work is far from finished, and we sense a Spirit-led calling to rethink and refine our strategy. One of the most effective ways to advance God's kingdom in difficult and unreached areas is through partnerships with national believers. These local Christians are uniquely positioned to engage their communities with the gospel, making them essential in seeing the kingdom expand in these areas. My opening story about the tragic events that took place in Nepal demonstrates this well.
Here are just a handful of reasons why a partnership with nationals is strategic:
Language Proficiency: National believers already know the local language, eliminating the need for lengthy and costly language training. It also immediately makes the gospel message more accessible and impactful.
Cultural Understanding: National believers are deeply familiar with their own culture, which helps them navigate social norms and customs that might be challenging for outsiders.
Socio-Economic Insight: National believers understand the socio-economic dynamics of their region, enabling them to address local needs more effectively.
Resilience in Persecution: Many national believers have already counted the cost of following Christ and have experience enduring persecution and taking incredible risks for their faith.
Cost Efficiency: National believers do not require the significant financial support that foreign missionaries often need.
Sustainability: National efforts can help to ensure long-term success and cultural relevance.
Closer proximity: National believers have the benefit of already being geographically close to their unreached neighbors.
The above reasons in no way diminish the value of sending out those who are called from reached nations—praise God for those who are sent and are making a lasting kingdom impact in faraway places! However, our hearts and minds must be open to the reality that national believers play a strategic, critical, and biblical role in being mobilized into what are, for them, nearby harvest fields for the gospel. Those who were once part of the "harvest" have now become the "harvesters," bringing the message of hope to their own communities with unparalleled cultural insight and resilience.
Partnering with national believers is a strategic and biblical approach to fulfilling the Great Commission.
At TRIAD, we’ve witnessed the power of fueling indigenous work by supporting and empowering national believers who are already on the frontlines, working tirelessly to see the vision of Revelation 7:9–10 come to fruition, where we read about people from every nation, tribe, and language worshiping before the throne. In fact, we established a special initiative called BLACKBOX for the purpose of fueling indigenous-led work in the hardest-to-reach places and people groups.
Partnering with national believers is a strategic and biblical approach to fulfilling the Great Commission. By leveraging their language skills, cultural understanding, and familiarity with enduring hardships, we can significantly advance the kingdom of God among the unreached. Organizations should focus on collaboration, long-term commitment, and supporting national partners in a way that promotes self-sufficiency and sustainability. As we work together, we move closer to seeing Revelation 7:9–10 come to life, with every nation, tribe, and language worshiping before the throne.
Co-written by Josh Duncan, Executive Director, and Eddie Lozano, Director of Mobilization and Training of TRIAD.
TRIAD is a global missions organization committed to sharing the gospel among the hardest-to-reach places and people groups. We work to mobilize, train, and deploy the body of Christ and support indigenous-led work in hard-to-reach and gospel-hostile nations like Afghanistan, Somalia, North Korea, Iraq, and the Himalayan region in order to see Jesus glorified in every tribe, people, nation, and language.
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